


The Tale of Tavo

by Great_Divider



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Military, Best Friends, Bisexuality, Blind Character, Canon-Typical Violence, Childhood Trauma, Disabled Character, Earthbending & Earthbenders, F/F, F/M, Gay Male Character, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Male Friendship, Medical Trauma, Metalbending & Metalbenders, Military, Military Backstory, Military Training, Military Uniforms, Power Dynamics, Scars, Slow Burn, Trans Male Character, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:07:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26803399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Great_Divider/pseuds/Great_Divider
Summary: A High Ranking officer of the United forces goes undercover to investigate the devastating and rigid reign of Kuvira. Many obstacles stand in the way. Can Tavo do it? Or will he succumb to Kuvira's crushing grip?
Relationships: Baatar Jr./Original Character(s), Baatar Sr./Suyin Beifong, Korra/Asami Sato, Kuvira (Avatar)/Original Male Character(s), Lin Beifong/Kya II
Comments: 7
Kudos: 25





	1. The Calling

**Author's Note:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of abuse
> 
> Every chapter will have a song associated with the themes of the chapter, adding some depth to it. 
> 
> Let it Happen-Tame Impala
> 
> Thanks for reading :)

The sun began to slowly creep on to the humble earth kingdom town of Hisho. Lighting up the sky with wisps and waves of orange and pink clouds as they dance with the ocean blue of the daylit sky. The air was crisp and cool, but pleasant. Leaves scattered the ground, continuing to fall with the gentle flow of the wind. Dozens of identical dark brown wood houses stand in rows organized and orderly. Citizens of the town begin to quietly empty into the streets to start their workday. The merchants open up their shops (the town is known for their sweet cabbages) the miners and benders make their way to the ore mines and the rest try to catch a train to Republic city or Ba Sing Se. Work became scarce ever since the big cities began to industrialize 70 years ago, so people have started commuting to the major cities to provide for their families. Their suits and formal clothes showing that they are living a comfortable life, but their weary, tired faces say otherwise. 

Just at the edge of town, a small two story wooden house creeps and cries with the breeze, it’s old frame and foundation trying too hard to settle after many years fighting the wind.  
Inside, an older looking woman, plagued with wrinkles and a sunken face, walks down the stairs to the corner kitchen. She grabs a pot, a cracked cup from the cupboard, and adds water from the sink to the pot and puts it on the rustic stove top. When she walks to the other end of the kitchen to get the herbs needed for some tea, the floorboards creak under her feet. After she mixes the tea into the pot, she goes to spark a flame under the pot with some spark rocks. She tries a few times but nothing is catching. “Shit” she mutters under her breath. Her wrists and hands begin to ache. Being older unfortunately comes with downsides. The older woman goes back upstairs and opens up a door to her right. Looking around the darkened room, she speaks in a firm, agitated tone. 

“Tavo can you come and help me with the spark rocks?”

No answer. Just faint snoring. 

“Tavo?” 

No answer again.

The now infuriated woman screamed the top of her lungs

“TAVO!”

‘GAH!’  
The young man exclaimed and jumped out of bed, knocking over everything on his nightstand, breaking a picture frame in the process. 

‘Aw man’ he said defeated and let out a sigh. He picked up the pieces of the broken picture frame. He looked at the picture inside and reflected its contents.  
The picture contained a young child about 8 years old smiling a mile wide with missing teeth and messy hair. To the left of the boy was a strong, tall man with black, shiny, slicked back hair and pale skin. The man’s expression was content but stern. The man’s right hand was on the boy’s shoulder while his other hand was holding the waist of the women on the right. She had soft silver hair and a frail frame. The women’s expression was blank, almost disinterested.  
Tavo started to develop a scowl on his face when he looked at the woman as his hand touched his clouded glass eye.  
“I guess some things never change”  
The young man was about to go deep into thought when he was quickly interrupted by a loud, raspy yell.  
‘TAVO IF YOU DON’T GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW-‘

“ALRIGHT ALRIGHT IM COMING!” He responded back.

The now irritated and frazzled Tavo flung open the bedroom door and let it slam shut behind him. The stocky young man sleepily fumbled down the stairs in his white tank and loose grey shorts while letting out a big yawn. As he got downstairs, he had no time to gather his thoughts before being berated by the women who called him down there.

“I swear you’re so lazy! When I was your age-“

‘Save it Ma.’ The man sighed. ‘ I already heard this a thousand times, you were up and at ‘em at the mines from sunrise to sunset working your ass off to provide for your family yada yada yada’ 

The last part of that sentence earned the young man a smack to the back of the head for the sassy remark.

“DON’T get wise with me, you know what happened the last time you did that” the women said with a very stern tone

Tavo ran two fingers from his left eye to his left cheek. Hovering over a deep, sharp scar. ‘Yes, mother’ he stated through gritted teeth with bitterness and a hint of anger. 

The stocky young man relaxed and took the two green oval shaped rocks and made a fist with one in the center of each hand. ‘Ma, you can’t use spark rocks when they’re cold, you have to warm them up in your hands first THEN you strike’. The man then stroked the rocks against each other with one hard quick motion and the stove began to flicker a bluish yellow flame. The man turned his head slightly to the woman with a side-eye glance ‘anything else?’  
The woman grumbled ‘no, get out of my sight. god I can’t wait until you get deployed again’ 

This statement earned a chuckle from the sturdy young man. ‘Ma, I just got back three weeks ago, I’m not gonna be going again for another two months.’ ‘You’re gonna be stuck with me for a while!!’

“Great.” The woman said in a heavy, sarcastic tone. ‘Get that ugly uniform out my laundry room too, I washed it yesterday and the bright reds and yellows are making nauseous’ 

“Sure thing” Tavo rolled his eyes and went down the hall to grab his pristine, crisp uniform. He took the uniform and held it at arms length from him. He formed a prideful smile and let out a humble sigh. 

His United Forces uniform. It held a lot of stories within its threads. Tales of triumph, tales of heartbreak, and most importantly, tales of friendship. Before he came home to help around the house, Tavo was promoted to lieutenant general and his best friend Ranta was promoted to brigadier general. They’re the youngest ever to earn such highly revered ranks at the ripe old ages of 23 and 21 respectively. 

Tavo laughed lightly as he recalled the story of how he and Ranta got into the United Forces army. Ranta insulted a high ranking officer, calling him a stick in the mud and a party pooper at a local festival. All because the officer didn’t laugh at Ranta’s corny jokes. The officer fired a piece of metal from his shoulder guard at him and it nearly decapitated him. The officer was about to fire the next piece but Tavo stepped in and bent it back at the officer pinning him to the ground. The boys tried running away but were quickly caught and were taken to court. The court ruled them both to join the united forces and the rest was history. Tavo was 16 and Ranta was 14. 

Tavo was enjoying his trip down memory lane when he heard the phone ring. Before he could leave the room his mother picked up the phone.

‘Yeah whaddya want?’ 

Tavo thought to himself sarcastically how she had an abundance of charm. He stuck his head out of the doorway to hear who it was.

‘WHO? General Iroh? Why hello young man! It’s been a while’ she purred.

Tavo practically fell out of the room and sprinted back to the kitchen. Once he arrived he ripped the receiver out of the woman’s hands. 

“HEY” She yelped. 

Tavo made a disgusted face at his for her tone towards the man at the other end of the line. 

“G-GENERAL IROH, what a surprise and honor, w-what has you calling?” The eager and anxious Tavo sheepishly blurts out. Beads of sweat start to gather around his hairline dripping down the side of his face. 

‘Major Tavo! Or should I say, Lieutenant General Tavo? Congratulations! You’ve definitely earned it my friend’  
.  
Tavo shot to attention “Thank yOu sir!” Tavo said with a voice crack, he cringed as soon as it came out of his mouth.  
General Iroh laughed “Still getting used to the deep voice huh? You’ve always been an odd one Tavo.”

Tavo developed a deep red blush along the top of his cheeks. ‘Heh, I guess so, yeah.’

The General cleared his throat and changed his tone. “ Lieutenant General, I need to speak to you. In person. It’s important. Can you meet me in Republic city tomorrow? By Yue bay?”

Tavo felt his whole body tense. He grabbed the receiver a bit tighter as if he was going to squeeze the answer out of the general. He knew this was something serious. He could tell by the General’s voice. Tavo stated calmly ‘Absolutely, sir. Should I be in uniform?’

“Actually no” The general stated in a matter of fact tone. “ I need you to be in plain clothes and you need to make damn sure you weren’t followed.”

The young man swallowed a dry lump in his throat “Yes sir, see you tomorrow.” He hung up the receiver and ran up to his room to start packing a bag. 

“So much for that three month leave.”

Whatever was happening, Tavo knew he wasn’t going to be home for a while.


	2. An Old Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Violence, hints of stalking
> 
> Ready to Go-Panic! At The Disco
> 
> Thanks so much for reading :)

Just like that, it was nearly dawn. Tavo laid in his bed flat on his back with his arms crossed around his chest. Turning his head to look out the window as if he were waiting for a signal from a flare or a lantern. After a few minutes the stocky, fit man threw off the heavy blankets and took a deep stretch. His mind had been racing all night. Why did the general need him so urgently? What was so big that the general himself couldn’t handle it? It’s been a year since Zaheer was taken down and the avatar made her appearance. The world was at peace. For the most part. Rumors swirled of a race for power in the earth kingdom. The kingdom was a mess he would admit but he didn’t really give it too much thought. No one had bothered his hometown yet and he’s only heard of Ba Sing Se being in true chaos. Though voices whispered of a force coming from the west threatening towns and bandits running rampant. 

Other than that, life has been pretty normal. His deployments kept him out of the ‘loop’ of his hometown and his nation, so he wasn’t sure how accurate or how old these rumors were. He turned to face the picture that lay on his nightstand. He looked at it with intent and purpose for a moment and rose from his bed. 

Tavo continued to let his thoughts run as he started to dress in his olive green tunic and finished packing his bag. More questions started to fill his head while he wolfed down a bowl of noodles and put on his shoes. Why him? General Iroh was the one who told Tavo to take leave after an incredibly hard deployment against the pirates raiding Whale Tail Island. Something wasn’t adding up. Why did he need to meet the general in civilian clothes? And make sure he wasn’t followed? Before the pre-occupied man left he called out: 

“Bye Ma, you might not see me for a while”

‘THANK THE SPIRITS! FINALLY!’ shouted the woman with glee and relief. Letting out a howling laugh. 

The man sighed in annoyance and slammed the front door shut.   
***

Anxiously the man ran up the stairs to the train as it started to pull into the station. He took a deep breath and walked through the daunting dual steel doors. Not knowing what would be on the other side when they opened again. The train ride was about an hour and a half long but it felt like eons to Tavo. He swore he had seen the same three trees over and over again. Stressed and tense, the young man leaned his head against the window and let out a frustrated sigh: 

“Well, at least I don’t have to deal with my darling mother for a while.” 

He felt his own chi swirl and crash against his stomach due to the stress. He clutched his abdomen and took a deep breath to focus and center himself. Causing him to slowly close his eyes and visualize his own chi paths, looking for any blocks or disturbances. He learned to do this from a healer he met in the North Pole. Water benders told Tavo he had a gift and he needed to harness it. He spoke to other soldiers about it to see if anyone else talked to the mysterious benders and achieved this ability but no other soldier could successfully replicate the technique. Deep into the retelling of the story to himself, he felt the brakes of the train start to grind together to an eventual stop.

He had arrived. 

Tavo stepped out onto the platform with casualty but a hint of pride. He straightened his spine and took a deep breath of the roaring and bustling city air. His heart pounding in his chest as he heard the high pitched horns of satomobiles and the tiny thumps and thuds of thousands of footsteps moving in rhythm— like a beating heart. He gazed amazingly at the towering giant glass and metal buildings that crowded the city skyline. Tavo loved the energy of Republic City. Anxiety turned into excitement as he stepped off the platform and quickly walked towards the busy street. A child at heart. 

He slung his bag over his shoulder and walked towards his destination with his hand in his pocket. Usually carrying himself with much more discipline and stiffness but today, he’s just an ordinary citizen. He doesn’t usually get to relax and be a normal 20 something year old kid. He really didn’t mind it either. It was a nice change. Tavo moved away from the crowd and took a detour through an alleyway. He began to whistle to himself when he heard a leaf crunch behind him. Making him stop dead in his tracks and quickly spin his head behind him. 

“Who’s there?” he stated firmly. 

No answer. 

Tavo planted his foot on the ground and felt the vibrations in the earth. Nothing. He stayed still for a moment after then continued walking. He took a detour to follow General Iroh’s orders and began to relax again. He began to hum another tune he had in his mind and began swaying his arms. He closed his eyes and put his foot down and felt something behind him. He quickly turned around and got into a fighting stance. 

“Where are you? I know you’re there,” said more sternly than the last. 

Silence. 

Tavo became suspicious and stayed for a moment in his stance before lightening up and straightening out his tunic. 

“The next time I feel your presence, I will strike you. I-” 

He hesitated. He couldn’t give away his identity in fear of blowing his cover and disobeying direct orders. He stood in silence for another minute before moving on. Closing in on his destination, he decided to circle the block a few times. He’d forgotten how much he loved Republic City and its atmosphere. He’s always been a fan of places with energy and tons of life flowing in it. It helped him perfect his seismic sense since he only has half of his vision. He daydreamed about living in the city and becoming a pro-bender. A dream he’s had since he was a little boy. The daydreamer was making his last round of the block and headed towards the bay when he felt the same presence for the third time. 

“That’s IT” shouting with annoyance and anger. He took a piece of earth out of the ground and punched it forward in one motion. He slid to his right and shot another boulder towards the vague figure. He quickly planted his foot into the ground and saw the image in his head. 

“Nooo…it can’t be” mumbling in disbelief. 

He quickly spin kicked another boulder and waited a beat for his opponent to strike back. Right afterwards a smaller boulder was lifted and punched forward with incredible force. Tavo jumped onto the wall and lunged forward towards the attacker but as soon as he landed he was surrounded in a plume of dust and dirt. He tried to get a clearer image of the figure but before he could, hand shaped rocks pinned his chest and arms to the brick wall beside him causing him to cry out in surprise and pain. 

“AUGH YOU SON OF A BITCH I SWEAR-” Tavo bellowed as he tried to squirm out of his attacker's pin. 

The ominous figure interrupted with a hearty and manic laugh. A laugh that was signature. A laugh that Tavo knew all too well.

“HA, even as a Lieutenant General you can’t seem to beat my sneak attacks!” The voice grew closer and the figure became clear and defined as the dirt cloud settled. Standing there with Tavo pinned causing the man to give a shit-eating grin.

“Ranta! You bastard you almost got your head caved in!” Tavo sighed in relief at the sight of his old friend.

Ranta released his pins on Tavo and ran to give the stocky man a hug. Tavo eagerly gave one back to the smaller, lanky man. Both men pulled away at the same time. Ranta still had the same goofy smile and unbroken spirit behind his eyes. His walnut brown hair and milky skin tone were just as he remembered it, except this time, he had added color to his right arm. Tavo couldn’t help but ask: 

“What the hell is on your arm? Did you lose a bet or something?”

“Nah man this northern water tribe girl tattooed it on me. Said she looooved sailors and gives one to everyone she meets! Since I was the commander of the fleet she gave me this special one! MAAAN what a woman she was…” 

While the now flustered Ranta was dozing off into his memory, Tavo glanced at the tattoo and saw a terribly shaded mermaid. The colors blotchy and body proportions all out of sorts. The face looked like an eight year old child drew it and don’t get him started on the massive cloud for hair. Ranta in his inflated pride flexed his bicep showing off the movement of the mermaid as if it were trapped in his arm. Failing to contain his laughter, Tavo changed the subject. 

“What are you doing here? I thought you were on your way back to Hisho.”

The lanky, amused man shook his head. Smirking in the process. 

‘Nope! General called ma’ phone as soon as I got back from my deployment in the Fire Nation. Said he needed to tell me somethin’ urgent.’ 

“Wait, you’re meeting here? At Yue Bay? That’s where I was supposed to meet him!” 

Both boys giddy and drunk in their excitement walked alongside each other. Recalling old memories while hooting and hollering. In their antics they didn’t realize they reached the observation deck of Yue Bay, with a very stern general shooting daggers at the men. Tavo felt the generals eyes and shot to a stance of attention about to salute but quickly realized the affect of the situation. Ranta glanced back at Tavo, turning his head towards the general he simultaneously swallowed a hard lump in his throat. Both men freezing still in their tracks snapping their heads to each other then back to the stately, earnest general. Waiting for Iroh’s next move they developed sweat around their eyebrows and their hands began to shake. 

The general took heavy but fluid steps towards the now quivering men. Both of the sheepish men looking at the general like they had just been caught stealing cookies out of a jar. The general stopped and took a wide relaxed stance. The men followed mindlessly as if following a drill sergeant. Iroh II smirked. 

“Gentleman, I’m glad you could meet me at such short notice. Come, observe the bay with me. There is much to discuss.”


	3. The Martyrs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Strong Language, smoking 
> 
> The Rose-Memphis May Fire 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading :)

The General turned towards the bay and let out a calming breath. He closed his eyes and thought about his next few sentences carefully. Was he really about send out two of his best men on a suicide mission? Based on some bad feelings? Spirits only knew what would happen to them if they were found out to be high-ranking officers in the United Forces. Though the other nations knew there were two new minor generals among the force, no one knew their identities yet. No one would suspect Tavo and Ranta due to their age. He looked back at the men. Both of them sweating through their shirts and looking at each other with twitchy, nervous glances. Iroh had no choice. He needed this mission to be completed with the utmost discreteness and precision. He needed every last loose end to be tied. Tavo and Ranta were his knots. 

“Don’t look so nervous, I’m not demoting you. I just promoted you!” The commander’s pathetic attempt at a joke only made the atmosphere even more suffocating. He let out a painful sigh in defeat, putting his hand over his face. 

“Come, let’s take a walk so we don’t stand out from the crowd.” 

Ranta and Tavo gulped simultaneously. They slowly inched forward trying to read the general’s energy. Tavo could feel the general’s heartbeat pounding hard and fast. Realizing Iroh was flustered about what he was about to tell them. The general turned towards the sidewalk and began to walk alongside the calm waters of the bay. The men picked up their pace to catch up with him. The trio was quiet until Ranta stuttered: 

‘So uh...w-whatda need from us general UH I mean..Iroh UH I MEAN-’

Iroh quickly put his hand up and interrupted in an attempt to not cause attention to themselves. 

“I want you two to know that I respect you both, not just as my top trusted officers but as friends as well. I hate to do this to you gentlemen, but I need to put you into a very dangerous position.”

Tavo opened his mouth to say something but not before Ranta busted out laughing. 

‘Like we haven’t been in those before, ya hearing this Tavo? As if we haven’t fought off battalions of rogue pirates and thieves with just our bare hands!’ The now rowdy, somewhat relieved Ranta nudged Tavo and in return, he gave a small smile in assurance. 

Iroh relaxed his shoulders down and bowed his head. Letting out a sigh in the process. He looked back up towards the sky with worry in his eyes. 

“ I know, you two have been nothing but excellent soldiers, ferocious warriors, and incredible leaders. You both have overcome countless obstacles in your lives but you have faced nothing like this. I promise you, this will be the hardest mission of your careers.” 

Tavo stared at the general intently but with a bit of concern. He wanted Iroh to just spit it out already. What is he hiding? With a raised eyebrow Ranta looked at Tavo and became a bit frustrated. His adventurous nature starting to get the best of him. Ranta was used to Tavo being this mysterious and edgy but not General Iroh. 

‘Whatre you tryna say? You think we can’t handle it?’ Cockiness seeped into his voice. Tavo elbowed Ranta with some force causing a small whimper of pain to escape from his lips. 

Iroh snapped his neck towards Ranta. All three of them stopping at another observation deck a quarter mile from their original spot. 

“ The outcome of this mission is critical to the stability of the Earth Kingdom, possibly the world.” Iroh raised his voice, which he rarely does. His composure was beginning to crack. 

“You could be tortured and killed.You two could very well DIE in this mission. ”

‘Well damn that’s why I stay don’t I? Commander Bumi always told me that danger is the name of da game. The fun part is gettin’ out of it!’

“Brigadier that exact attitude is what’s going to get you killed.” Iroh stating through gritted his teeth 

‘ I am damn ready to die, sir. For you, my nation, for the freakin’ WORLD!’ 

“How could you possibly be so calm and content with this? To throw away your life so easily? Your FAMILY? ” Iroh raised his voice again in anger and awe at the bold statement. Veins began to rise in his neck and forehead. 

“Because you know he means it.” Tavo said quietly, looking out towards the opposite end of the bay. He was beginning to lean forward sticking his head and upper body past the guard rail. He reached into his back pocket and flipped open his lighter to light a cigarette. Ranta and Iroh looked at eachother with unease and slight shame, forgetting that Tavo was even there. They turned to the smoking distant man with intrigue.

“In the battle against the equalists, your ship was attacked and blown to bits. You nearly drowned. You hijacked a fucking airplane and freefell nearly 200 feet and found the ability to take down two more. You were more than willing to die that day. I mean with all due respect general, where do you think we got our courage, bravery, and perhaps, foolishness from?” 

Iroh was taken aback, looking down and swallowing a lump he had in his throat.

“With all due respect general, you underestimate us. We may not have had a choice to join the United Forces but there’s a damn good reason why we stayed. A reason we worked our ass off to climb through the ranks. We stayed because we believe in what you and the rest of the force fights for. We pledged to use our abilities and skills to help the world, the people, in whatever way we can. If that means giving our lives, then so be it.” 

Tavo paused and took a long hit of his cigarette. The wind began to pick up and weave through his chocolate brown hair. Out of the corner of his sighted eye he saw the general look at Ranta who nodded in agreement with Tavo. Iroh began walking towards him with a renewed sense of pride and confidence. Putting a hand on the smoking man’s shoulder and cracking a small smile. 

“ Very well versed Lieutenant. You’re absolutely right. I’m sorry I underestimated you and Brigadier Ranta. There’s a reason you and him became general’s at such young ages. I was a fool to have any doubts. The force we are up against is unknown in strength and overall objectives. Their tactics are questionable to say the least. I worry what they’re capable of if left unattended to. The world leaders don’t seem to be concerned but I have a terrible, nagging feeling something's not quite right.” Iroh’s smile quickly turned into a grimace. Furrowing his eyebrows deep into thought. 

Ranta interjected “Sooo what you want us to do a recon mission?”

“No, recon teams have had no luck finding anything. Missions are becoming more and more dangerous. Soldiers are disappearing. They’re keeping things extremely tight lipped. Even the bandits won’t talk. We need someone from the inside.” 

‘Waitwaitwait...you want us to JOIN the damn thing?’ suspicious inflection plagued Ranta’s voice. Almost if he was trying to conceal laughter.’ Ranta let a soft chuckle escape. He couldn’t believe Iroh brought them all the way to Republic city just to tell them to go undercover. Ranta tried to restrain himself from laughing but he was nearly unsuccessful. 

“In laymen’s terms, yes. But that’s not the reason I called you here secretly.”

Tavo put out his cigarette and gave the general a side eyed glance to hide his intrigue. Finally. The reason. Why are we really here? 

“I need you, gentlemen, to do things a little less orthodox. I need you to leave your morality and esteem at your feet.” 

Tavo smirked while Ranta’s jaw dropped. They couldn’t believe it. The squeaky clean, no-nonsense high commander bending the rules and going behind the Republic’s back, the world leaders back, for a single mission. Things were becoming very alluring to the boys. They tried concealing their joy and excitement. Fighting the feeling of being a child with sweets waved in front of their face. To tell the truth, both of the men craved action they haven’t seen in a long time. General Iroh already knew their answers; he just needed to brief them. 

“You’re both about to be poor, desperate villagers who need work and food. You’ll go to a recruiting station 20 miles northwest. You’ll be taken in as recruits and proceed as soldiers of...whatever they call themselves. Every 2 months you will be sending out an encrypted intelligence report to a secure location. Anything you can find. I need to get the world leaders' attention, especially Suyin. Anything you see out of the ordinary you need to document precisely and orderly. After a while, I need you to gain the leader’s trust. From my understanding, there’s two of them. Get them to talk about their achievements and objectives. I know how these ‘temporary’ peacekeeping task forces go. They get a taste of power and they can’t let go.” 

‘And if this is the case?’ Tavo raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. He knew what the general meant, but he wanted to hear him say it for himself. 

“Take them out.”


	4. Square One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: None
> 
> Right Back at It Again-A Day To Remember
> 
> Thanks so much for reading :)

“Take them out.” 

Stated in a swift, calm breath. Said without hesitation. Tavo respected this. The air grew heavy from the weight of responsibility that now hung over the soldier’s heads. Both of them knew what had to be done and neither were afraid of it. Iroh would handle the political ramifications and wash the blood off his hands when the time came.

“DAYUM General Iroh, since when were you sucha sucker for blood?” Tavo rolled his eyes as he witnessed Ranta ruin the moment. As always. Tavo took a pebble from the ground and launched it into Ranta’s gut. He groaned in pain and hunched over. 

“HEY what was that for?” Ranta yelped in surprise and a bit of pain.  
Tavo opened his palm letting another pebble hover over it. He debated whether to guide it into his rib cage when the commander glared at Tavo. 

The general lifted his palm towards him and took a sharp deep breath. He looked down at his leather work boots and rolled his neck and shoulders back.

“You know very well I never try to take a life unless absolutely necessary, but if the rumors are true of the atrocities they try to pass off as tactics, they are far from saving. All I solidly know is that they were of high status in the metal clan, as well as the city of Zaofu.”

Zaofu. That name left a bitter taste in Tavo’s mouth. He had heard the stories of its remarkable infrastructure and utopian lifestyle. He had dreamed of going there as a little boy. His father always promised him a vacation there for his birthday. Hearing lore about the city being made on raised wide pedestals bordered by giant elegant metal flower domes. Tucked away in a valley between towering mountain ranges surrounded by lucious forestry and other flora. The flowers would close up protecting the city from any intruder or threat in the black of night. At dawn, the magnificent flowers would lift and fold out like a blooming panda lily. The smooth, unfaltered metal would glisten in the sun and provide a warmth similar to a campfire on a cold winter’s night. Of course, this was before his father had disappeared when he was 10 years old. Leaving him and his mother in Hisho. Tavo started to feel his jaw clench. The memory became too painful to think about. 

“When do we ship out?” Tavo’s voice began to waver in an attempt to hide the tears that welled at the corners of his eyes. 

“Three days. I’ve arranged for you to stay uptown in a hotel until your shipment date. You’ll be getting meals delivered to your rooms. If anyone tries to contact you, do NOT respond. From now on your intelligence reports will be the only contact I have with you, officers. You have disappeared from the world. You are shadows with no body. Spirits with no vessel. Am I clear?” The general stated sternly and clearly. He gave his inferiors a hard, rough glance.

Without missing a beat the brigadier and the lieutenant nodded in unison. 

“Good. The address to your hotel and the recruitment station are on this.”

Iroh flung a piece of paper towards Tavo. Without blinking an eye he caught the curving paper on his left with two fingers.

“After you know the addresses burn it. Good luck gentlemen. See you on the other side.” 

***  
The two young men left General Iroh at the bay and made their way uptown. Passing by small quaint shops and hole in the wall restaurants. Ranta looked around in awe, his eyes filled with wonder and curiosity. Tavo kept his head forward unphased by the small mysteries and works of the block. He hadn’t understood why Ranta was so excited. There were plenty of similar shops back in Hisho but he didn’t want to burst his bubble. 

“YYYAAHHOOOOOO we’re back in business baby!! The dynamic duo back at it kickin’ ass n’ taking names! MAN I missed these kinda missions. Aren’t you excited?” Ranta bent his rock arm around Tavo’s shoulder. 

Tavo didn’t respond. He was too deep into thought. Intrusive flashbacks of his time in basic training for the United Forces steadily streamed into his head. He felt his mind fall into a deep spiral but quickly snapped out of it at the motion of Ranta waving his other hand in front of his face. 

“HEELLOO, Earth to Tavo, you alright bud? You were in a trance. Now c’mon pick up the pace i’m starvin’! Seaweed noodles and miso soup here we COME.” 

Ranta grabbed Tavo’s forearm and yanked him forward forcing him into a run. Tavo clutched his bag so it wouldn’t slam against his legs and weaved through the crowd of people going through the motions of their daily lunch rush. His tension melted away as he slowly developed a nostalgic smile. Ranta always knew how to get Tavo out of a funk. Since they were kids, Ranta had always been a positive influence and drive in Tavo’s life. Even though he was a lunatic at times, Tavo never doubted for a second that Ranta is as loyal and protective of him as anyone else in the world. He was a brother to him, the only family Tavo had ever known. 

Ranta looked back at Tavo and flashed a goofy smile. Tavo gave one back. He looked down at the address and scanned the street. The hotel was supposed to be on the next block but all he saw so far were shops and restaurants. The men took a couple more steps and sharply turned the corner. They came to a screeching halt and their jaws dropped. A magnificent 50 story tower stood before them at the end of the block. The trim looked to be pure gold, the structure made of marble and pure limestone. The entrance had pure a geminite and quartz crystal archway swirling and flowing with the metamorphic columns. 

“Woah...” Tavo was in awe. He had never seen such beauty and precision within a structure. 

‘HAH I could get used ta this!’ Ranta developed a devilish smirk and rubbed his hands together. Tavo quickly rebutted. 

“Well don’t, remember we mobilize in three days. Don’t think we’ll get this kind of treatment in basic. We’ll be eating slop and spoiled cabbage for a while.”

‘Hmph, don't remind me...’ Ranta grumbled. The gentlemen approached the hotel with hesitance. They stuck out like sore thumbs in their ratty tunics and unkempt hair compared to the surrounding businessman with their silk suits and gold rings. As they reached the door, a petite attractive woman in a black satin dress and red stilettos came outside to greet them. Her hair was carefully pinned to one side, her golden brown eyes radiating warmth. “Welcome gentlemen, right this way. I will escort you to your rooms.” She gave a polite bow and motioned for the soldiers to follow her. Tavo felt Ranta’s cheeks burn and his heart rate quicken. Now Ranta seemed to be the one in the trance. Tavo snickered at this and gave the now seemingly flustered Ranta an impish grin. The flustered man sharply delivered a vengeful glare. They were led to a verdant, wooden spiral staircase, Ranta ran his hand across the banister admiring the craftsmanship. 

‘Woooooahh this...this is…’

“Three ringed mahogany with a beetle wax finish. The only place to find such fine wood is deep in the Chanbai forest. This is stunning.” Tavo interjected equally amazed. 

The woman turned to Tavo, floored. Not many knew of forestry and carpentry with such expertise. 

“Y-yes that’s correct. All of the wood in the hotel is made of three ringed mahogany. How did you get such an eye for forestry and wood?” The woman staring still bewildered at Tavo’s knowledge and, quite frankly, his sharp jaw and stocky build. she began to sport a light pink blush on the top of her cheeks as the three of them made their way up the stairs.

“Oh uh, my father was a carpenter in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se. I-I was an apprentice for him when I w-was a teenager.” Tavo’s voice shaked at the sudden question. He had to make up a lie and fast. This was the quickest thing he could come up with. 

Ranta formed an annoyed scowl towards his friend but Tavo didn’t notice. They climbed about three floors before stepping off on the fourth floor. The woman stopped about halfway down the hall standing between two rooms before turning back towards the men.

“Here you are, gentlemen. Your first meal will be delivered to you in an hour. If there’s anything you need please let me know, I’ll be down in the lobby. Welcome to Republic City.” As she walked past, she slid her hand across Tavo’s shoulder and gave a sly wink. Tavo sprang an astonished look and guided it towards a similarly shocked Ranta. When their heads came back to earth Ranta rolled his eyes and pouted. 

‘MAAAN why is it when I try to pull a beautiful girl she aaalways likes you better?’

Tavo let out a loud snort “Maybe you’re just trying too hard. Take it in while you can. I’m sure she’s the last woman we’re going to be seeing for a while. I’ll see you in three days. After that, we can say goodbye to everything we know.”

The lieutenant looked down at his shaky hands then back up to his best friend.

“We’re back to square one.”


	5. Frontier

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Violence, Transphobia, flashbacks, PTSD 
> 
> Chasing Ghosts- The Amity Affliction 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading :)

The sun began to rise on the final day and Tavo couldn’t get a lick of sleep. His mind wandered every night about ‘what if’s’ and tragedies he’s experienced in his past deployments. He’s seen so many men perish in front of him and prepared himself to see more of them suffer the same fate. He had vivid flashbacks of his time in basic training when his first platoon beat him and nearly killed him because of his top surgery scars. Though the men in that platoon were harshly punished and Tavo changed platoons quickly after, he still feared the possible outcomes among the ranks of this mission. What if he doesn’t get the same swift justice? What if he’s stuck in the same unit being constantly harassed and bombarded? What if he suffered the same or a worse fate? Especially since he cannot risk getting kicked out for the sake of the mission, he couldn’t let Ranta stay in there alone.

In the midst of all the negative thoughts zooming in his head, a pleasant memory of him and Ranta’s first deployment together sprung up. They were just specialists back then, patrolling the waters just off Kyoshi Island for bandits and AWOL soldiers. One spring morning, Ranta had the brilliant idea to jump in the freezing water to try and fight the Unagi. As soon as he saw the chilling creature’s face, he had a slight change of heart, begging and crying for Tavo to let him back on board. Tavo wasn’t letting him up that easy, he commanded a rookie private water bender to trap Ranta in a bubble and wait until the Unagi got close. On Tavo’s signal, the waterbender would yank Ranta back on board. The plan worked and Ranta wouldn’t go swimming for two years after. The playful memory made Tavo’s eyes grow heavy and made him drift into a light sleep. 

Not long after, he was quickly uprooted by the shrieking of the alarm clock on the nightstand. He let out a whine and angrily threw off the blankets. He planted both feet on the ground and felt someone unfamiliar at the door, making him jump. The commander held his breath for a second to try and get a better feel for the person but was too sleepy to conjure a clear image. He silently tip-toed towards the door and carefully looked through the peephole. It was a middle aged man in a steel gray uniform with a golden badge on the right side. Tavo rubbed the remaining sleep out of his eyes and slowly opened the door. As soon as he did the unknown man bowed in respect.

‘General Tavo, I am here to escort you and General Ranta to your destination.’ 

“I wasn’t informed we’d be getting an escort. Who sent you?”

‘General Iroh in cooperation with Chief Beifong.’ 

Tavo smirked at the statement. Figures. Beifong must’ve sniffed out Iroh’s plan a mile away and wanted in. She’s probably threatened to snitch on him to the other leaders if he didn’t let her in. Beifong and Iroh have always had the same sort of mindset. They both had a very keen sense when something is out of place. 

Tavo was skeptical but obliged. 

“Alright. I’ll be in the lobby in 10 minutes. You might want to wake sleeping beauty next door. He’s the real problem you gotta worry about.”

The man nodded and stepped towards the next door. 

General Tavo shut the door and began to pack up his things and eat the breakfast that was left out for him. Though he wasn’t very hungry, he knew he had to eat for the day he had ahead of him. If this militia is anything like the United Forces, the first day of basic training is usually the hardest. They poke, prod, and inspect you while getting screamed at from all sides. 

Tavo felt a wave of anxiety crash over him. What if they don’t recruit me because of my scar? my eye? Or my… he didn’t let himself finish the thought. A chill was sent up his spine but he quickly shook it off. 

He swallowed any remaining fear and anxiety and buried it deep into his gut. There’s no time to worry, he just had to go in headfirst. Tavo’s earth and metal bending skills were mastery level so there’s nothing to worry about there. His endurance and physical strength were superb and his survival skills were sharp. When he took his officer’s test, he was one of the highest scorers in the history of the United Forces. Why was he so worried? 

Before he could answer the question he heard a dismayed whining from next door.

‘Cmoooooon five more minutes? Pleeeaaassseeeee I promise I’ll be down in time.’ 

Tavo giggled himself and took his belongings. He made his way to the door and peered out into the hallway to find a very sleepy Ranta dragging his rucksack across the floor. 

“You okay buddy?”

‘Yeah, that cranky man in the uniform made me get up.’ Ranta muttered, still consumed with sleep. 

“Oh man if you can’t wake up for a 9 a.m. escort you’re gonna have a rough time in basic.” Tavo chuckled and seeped out a humored smile. 

‘Don’t remind me’ Ranta rolled his eyes and sighed. A realization popped into his head making him straighten his posture. 

‘ Hey Tavo, what’re ya gonna do about-’ 

“Don’t worry about it I’ll figure it out.” Tavo interrupted sharply. 

He didn’t want to think about what they could do to him. He just had to hold his nose and feel the cold water. Whatever they were going to do to him he had to deal with. He had taken it once before, he could take it again. Tavo narrowed his eyes in determination and made his way towards the spiral staircase. Admiring its craftsmanship one more time. He looked back and saw Ranta heavily stomping his feet down the stairs like an angry child. Once they reached the bottom of the staircase they were greeted by three men in the same grey uniforms motionless. The boys looked at each other and raised an eyebrow. The steel men inched towards them and Ranta instantly switched to a fighting stance. Before Ranta could strike Tavo grabbed his shoulder and pulled him within earshot.

“Relax Ranta they’re just police officers, you can’t be so jumpy or you’re gonna get us killed.” The placid lieutenant whispered into his jumpy friend’s ear. 

Tavo pushed the still tense man forward a bit and nodded towards the three stone-faced men. The three men turned their backs towards the generals and walked in sync towards the front door. The two young men followed a few paces behind him. As they made their way towards the lobby Tavo turned towards the front desk. The same woman who led them to their rooms was typing on a telegraph. She looked up for a moment to see Tavo staring at her. As soon as they made eye contact Tavo gave a small wink and a tiny smile. Ranta realized what Tavo was up to and kicked the back of his knee making the seemingly smooth player trip forward. Tavo caught himself so he didn’t fall completely. He swiftly turned his head back towards the woman. She quickly looked away hiding her soft laughter and the blush that spread to her face. Tavo ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck as a similar blush developed. When they walked out of the pristine building Tavo punched Ranta in the arm and gave an unamused glare. The playful expression on Ranta’s face gave him away. 

The three uniformed men got into a cruiser in sequence. The third man kicked open the rear door and gestured for the men to come into the cruiser. Hesitation and tension filled the cruiser as soon as the door closed. It was too late to turn back. The two men looked at each other and had a shared understanding.

“Shadow with no body.”

‘Spirits with no vessel.’


	6. Challenger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Ableism/ableist language, verbal abuse, violence, mention of blood, body shaming
> 
> Prove Me Right-Memphis May Fire 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading :)

The car ride was uneventful except for Ranta’s obnoxious snoring. Tavo tried looking for any landmarks or anything out of the ordinary but couldn’t find a single thing. Tavo was concentrating when he felt the car stop. He scanned the horizon and found just an entrance to a forest. 

“Why did we stop here?”

‘This is the farthest we can take you. Any further would be into Earth Kingdom territory.’ 

“Hm. I see.” Tavo opened the cruiser and looked around. There was nothing around except a clear sky and a dirt road. It dawned on him where they had to go and started preparing his compass. Looks like he would be putting his navigational skills to the test.

Ranta leaped out of the car and took a deep stretch. At the climax of his stretch he let out a roaring yawn and observed the barren wasteland before him.

‘Man we’re here already? There’s nothin’ around here ‘cept a buncha dirt.’

He looked to see what Tavo was doing and quickly sobered to the fact this is as far as they were going with any sort of help. They were on their own. 

The two men gave a grateful nod to the officers and made their way to the mouth of the dense forest. Tavo took a soothing breath to make sure his head was level and took a few steps forward. He looked back at Ranta who was a little more hesitant. He looked at the heavily scarred soldier before he followed suit. Ranta had always admired Tavo and his resilience. He always made the best out of terrible situations and looked for the good and lessons that came out of them. He trusted Tavo with his life and had all the faith in the world for him and this mission. He let his mouth draw open and utter:

‘So ah...do ya know where we're goin’? 

“2 miles north. Be on the lookout for any sign of manmade structures or objects. Stay close to me. We don’t know what’s in this forest or what's on the other side.” Said with confidence and stability. As if, and he has, done this a million times. It was pretty hard to doubt Tavo when he spoke like that. Ranta quickly put his mind at ease and eagerly followed. 

An hour passed by and the lieutenant’s worry began to spur. There was no sign of human activity anywhere. Constantly scanning the forest floor and the surrounding Narra and Gingko trees but nothing came to his attention. Until he felt something when he planted his left foot onto the ground. He bent his knees and felt the ground closely, closing his eyes trying to visualize where the strange sensation was coming from. He felt an eerily familiar vibration. A rumble large and forceful. Tavo quickly shot back up in realization and shuffled hastily towards the vibrations. He knew he was headed in the right direction as they grew stronger. Ranta distant in thought and boredom quickly became aware that Tavo was running actively towards whatever he heard. He began to gasp and pant to try and catch him. Ranta was in shape but Tavo was much more agile and explosive. The lieutenant and brigadier trying to catch their breath, quickly analyzed what they had stumbled upon. 

The weary young men finally made it. 

While the men held no solid expectations for what the facility was going to entail, what they saw certainly exceeded them. The main structure was an enormous, about 100 feet long, horizontal steel cylinder with small windows and a heavy vault door. To the left of the main structure lies a small, square wood and stone building with medium rectangular windows surrounding all sides. It reminded the soldiers of the watchtowers back on their old base.

There were two men in forest green tunics with an olive green rectangular stripe running from the neck down to their knees. The high collars had a silver trim that met and wrapped at the center of the throat. The shoulders each had three metal bars and an octagon shaped belt with the earth kingdom insignia in the middle was tight around the men’s waists. Black knee high boots swayed and crashed against the fitted dark tan knee patches. Another uniformed soldier came from behind the office and circled the perimeter. They had a similar uniform but had the three wide steel bands on each bicep and on each calf and a helmet with green goggles that shielded the soldiers entire face. It resembled a sort of gas mask. One of the unmasked men, tall, stout with a thin mustache dancing on his lip donned two arrows on his left arm facing down. 

“That must be an officer, it looks like a corporal rank.” Tavo leaned and whispered in the lanky man’s ear. Ranta looked over towards the man and nodded.

‘That’s prolly our guy. Let’s go.’ The brigadier motioned his hand forward and straightened his back. 

The two raggedy looking boys headed towards the smaller office building. As they approached they were stopped by the same mustached men. He raised an eyebrow at the two men’s dirty appearance.

“Can I help you gentleman?” Apathy hinted in his voice. 

The young lieutenant puffed his chest and cleared his throat. “Yes, we are here to enlist.” 

The taller man let out a condescending laugh. “So this is the best the state has to give us huh? A scarred half-blind freak and a one armed wonder.”

As soon as the last part of that comment exited the officer’s mouth Ranta growled and stepped forward ready to throw a punch but Tavo put a hand on his chest to stop him. “ You should be grateful. We heard you’re spread thin on soldiers. Take what you can get.” 

‘What makes you think you’re qualified?’

“Why don’t you find out?” Tavo gave an ornery look towards his potential opponent but had no challenge. 

The corporal sneered and let them pass through the door. The lieutenant bowed in thanks while the brigadier jeered and stuck out his tongue when the corporal’s back was turned. Inside there was a small metal desk with a dingy lamp and three rooms behind it. Two doors were closed but one of them was ajar enough to peer into. It looked like a medical room with a padded bench and a single chair, probably to inspect and poke at recruits. On the wooden walls were posters of a strange silver octagon with stripes heading towards the center which had the earth kingdom regalia. On the bottom on some of the posters read in chunky block letters “ALL HAIL THE GREAT UNITER” Others read “JOIN THE EARTH EMPIRE” 

Earth Empire huh? Tavo thought quietly to himself. He had a wretched feeling in his stomach. He approached the baby faced gentleman at the desk who had a half circle with an arrow facing up on his arm. Private first class, a rookie. They probably put him on desk duty, poor guy. Without even looking up from his work he started almost automatically: 

“Welcome to the Northwestern recruiting office, what are your names and your home providences?” 

‘ERm… Ranta of Hisho?’

“Tavo of Hisho. What do we-”

Before the lieutenant even completed his question the unamused private continued on his rushed spiel. “Great-take off your shirts and leave your belongings here. Go into an exam room and wait for the doctor to inspect you then come back out here for your assignments-thanks for joining the earth empire any questions?” 

The officers looked at eachother, puzzled and irked. If only he knew. They made their way to the exam rooms behind the desk and each of them shut the door. Tavo knew how this goes. He would be asked a million questions, piss in a cup, be poked and squeezed for what seems like an eternity and be packed like cattle with the rest of the men. He stroked the lower part of his scar and let out a sigh. Before he could let his anxiety set in, the door slammed open and bounced off the wall. Enter a preoccupied doctor with a giant clipboard with a stack of sloppy papers barely hanging on. The doctor was frantically writing something when she looked up and did a double take. Without saying a word she scribbled something onto her mysterious clipboard and spit out questions left and right.

“Name, age, sex, any medical conditions, medications, markings or tattoos”

Tavo frowned miffly and rolled his eyes. He answered all the questions except the last one.

“You should know that already you looked at my face.” Said snarkily. He was getting antsy and just wanted to get on with it. The doctor looked up with a mean look and licked her lips. She shook a small cup in her hands.

‘Listen here blind boy, I could deny you right now if you don’t keep your mouth shut and cut the attitude. Now piss in this cup and you'll be on your merry way.’

Tavo reluctantly obliged and snatched the cup out of her hands giving her a look that could kill. He knew he was going to be treated less than dirt but this was just ridiculous. He urinated into the cup and threw it back at the doctor and left the room slamming the door behind him. He found Ranta back in the lobby grabbing his things. 

‘How’d it go?’ spoken with naiveness, Ranta had never been one to read people properly. 

“Just peachy. When are we leaving?”

The milky skinned man let out a slight laugh. “We're on the last bus, our platoon is leaving in five minutes.”

The two young soldiers left the office and found a large, canopied truck waiting at the other end of the cylindrical building. As they passed one of the windows the lieutenant was able to peer in. Inside was chunks and huge bits of metal. The floor was padded and at one end of the building, there were targets. It was a metal bending range. Tavo had never seen one before; he was extremely intrigued.

He didn’t realize how far behind he had fallen until he felt his best friend yank his arm and forced him into a brisk walk. They approached the rear end of the truck and stepped up into the truck bed. They sat on the thin wooden benches and were crammed shoulder to shoulder with other recruits as they pooled into the vehicle. The soldier guiding them in banged the back of the truck and they were on the move. 

Tavo looked down and tried not to make eye contact with anyone but felt a pair of eyes dig into the top of his skull. He looked up sheepishly and found a colossus of a man shooting daggers at him. The seasoned soldier tried to hide any emotion as best as he could and gave a callous look back. The giant of a man smirked and punched his fist into his hand. He had faded tattoos and gnarly burns all over his body. The general looked around the truck to see if anyone had noticed but everyone was either too preoccupied in anxiety or too fearful to say anything. 

Tavo leaned back and put his hands on his knees and sucked on his teeth. 

“Ya got somethin’ to say pig boy?” 

‘Not just yet, patchy.’ The giant shot back. A flashback zapped into Tavo’s head. He began to remember the time when he was a drill sergeant for a short while and he was undercover in the barracks. Occasionally some of his colleagues liked to hide on the bus and sniff out any weak links. 

Shit. 

He had realized the graveness of his mistake and knew he was in for a beating later. He let out a breath of acceptance and was silent the rest of the ride there. The general gave a sobering look to his brigadier and turtled. Ranta realized what his friend had just done and looked like a lost mouse puppy. They both knew this was not going to end well for Tavo. 

After some time Tavo was brewing his thoughts trying to figure out how the hell he was going to get out of this situation. He felt the truck screech to a halt. Before the truck could even stop his instigator leaped out of the truck and started screaming at the recruits to get out of the truck. All of them scrambled to get out onto the ground as fast as they could. 

The men were lined up in front of a heavy, sturdy platinum gate. The walls were lined with pins, random spikes, and at the top of the fence was 6 bars of tightly wound barbed wire. The gates were held together through various seal tight locks. There were a lot of them, Tavo felt them as soon as his feet touched the ground. In the middle of the gate’s entrance was the same symbol he saw at the recruiting office. Each side had a watchtower about 30 feet off the ground with spotlights and control panels manned with three officers. It was a border checkpoint. 

They probably have communications that lead to the heart of the operation. Tavo was masterminding a way to break in when he heard the shrill screech of the burly man. 

“LINE UP MAGGOTS.” The undercover soldier barked. 

Like clockwork the recruits did. All of them kept their eyes forward, chests puffed, and hands folded behind their backs. The recruits were not allowed to put their shirts back on and the wind was whipping, forcing cool air all along the men's bare chests. Ranta and Tavo didn’t dare to show any sign of shiver or sign of discomfort. One recruit started chattering and the colossus man bent three sharp rocks from the ground and nearly crushed the poor soldier. He began to shriek about something along the lines of being a weak link. Tavo dared to crack a small smirk at the wrong time. The sergeant was on him like a sea serpent smelling a drop of blood. The giant marched to the officer and got nose to nose with him. Developing a cold, evil smile and began to spit into Tavo’s face. 

“Well well well look what the Lemur dragged in. A blind, scarred, chubby FUCK n’ a bag o’ bones with a missing piece.”

The sergeant pinched Tavo’s arm and chest. Sharp pain burst through Tavo’s body but didn’t dare to let out even a whimper. 

“This is what the state has to offer me huh? They’re gettin’ mighty soft. I shouldn’t be surprised since they let one-armed wonder over there join as well” 

He motioned towards the milky skinned man and spit on the ground. Ranta swore he felt steam come out of his ears. There was no way this dope of a sergeant was getting away with those kinds of insults. Tavo carefully played a calm demeanor, he knew exactly how to get under the drill sergeant’s skin. 

‘Aye I am lucky to be here, sir’ 

Tavo barely whispered the words out of his mouth. Feeling his ears sting and burn with anger but he remained stone faced. He knew better. The sergeant was just trying to get a rise out of him so he had an excuse to land a punch on him. 

“YOU’RE DAMN RIGHT YOU ARE. You are trying to be a part of one of the greatest armies and peacekeeping forces the Earth kingdom has ever seen. Even more impressive, you’re tryna be a part of ol’ Pantu’s platoon. We are here to restore order and peace into the world and our great nation. Our leaders hailing from one of the most progressive and proud cities this world has ever seen. They built this vast and powerful army from the ground up, swearing to protect the very nation they hail from.” 

‘And what have YOU done Sergeant Pantu?’ As soon as the quick witted statement left his lips a sharp blunt force made contact with Tavo’s gut. He let out an involuntary grunt of pain but stayed in the position of attention. 

“I’m gonna give you another chance to rethink that statement CAREFULLY. Now what did you wanna say to me, patchy?” Sergeant Pantu was tempting in his tone, as if he were luring prey into his own trap for dinner. 

The cadet caught his breath from the wind being knocked out of him. He gritted his teeth and looked the drill instructor in the eye. He wasn’t afraid, he’s dealt with bandits scarier than this guy. He had to keep his cover though. He had to seem like he was hurt and succumbing to the pressure. His pride, however, got the best of him. 

‘I..said..what have you done to help.’ Said weakly but with stubbornness. He was not backing down. Tavo never backed down from a fight or a challenge. He was asking a genuine question, trying to gather information. All it got him was a brutal beating and a terrible fate. 

The sergeant roared and landed a left hook onto Tavo’s cheekbone but the recruit did not flinch. He simply allowed himself to be struck. The drill sergeant began to rot with anger. He threw heavy punches, one after the other, but Tavo did not break his stance. The sergeant’s face began to break, oozing frustration and inferiority from the cracks. 

“FINE, you wanna undermine me? You just earned yourself a spot in the pit this Friday.”


	7. The Pit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Blood, violence, offensive language, abusive actions, needles, partial nudity
> 
> Ben Threw-Of Mice and Men
> 
> Thanks so much for reading :)

Tavo spat out a clot of blood that pooled in his mouth. He calculated his next few words precisely and kept his cold composure while cadet Ranta looked on horrified. He knew Tavo was tough but not THAT tough. Whatever his friend just got himself into, he prayed to the spirits that he could get himself out of it. The pit? This was all sounding like a fever dream. 

‘And what is that sir?’ Tavo asked in an abhorrent, naive tone. The other recruits looked on in terror, wishing they could look away or help but didn’t want the sergeant’s wrath to fall upon them.

“An excuse for me to beat the everloving shit outta you. NOW KEEP YOUR UGLY MOUTH SHUT AND MOVE MOVE MOVE.” 

Blood vessels were protruding from the boiling sergeant’s forehead and neck. The recruits hustled towards the gate which opened slowly but quick enough that all the recruits were able to run through seamlessly. They flowed into the base like blood flowing through a vein. 

The sergeant stayed behind herding the lowly recruits to the center of four rectangular buildings surrounding them in a circle. Tavo felt human forms in two of them. In these two buildings were steel frames stacked on top of eachother with four legs each. Barracks. He tried to get a clear visual of the other two buildings but his attention was pulled away by the shrill clanging of metal hitting straw. In the distance, about 500 yards away, were earth and metal benders shooting 200 yard targets. Familiarity teased the two veteran soldiers. Deadpan expressions and hard pressed jaws comforted them, the other recruits were not so lucky. The generals could feel them shaking in their boots. 

It’s been a while since they’ve taken orders instead of giving them. The lieutenant didn’t mind but the brigadier couldn’t stand it. Ranta’s arrogance and pride were to blame. It’s the sole reason he’s a lower rank than his battle buddy. He got demoted from commander status to master sergeant a few years ago because he kept dissing his colonel’s plans and had wild outbursts during logistics meetings. Ranta always boasted that his plans were SOOO much better than the stuck up colonel’s. The catch, however, was that the brigadier was right. Ranta’s plans of attack were much more effective and had a much lower loss of life than his superior’s. This caught the attention of Iroh and he revived his rank, much to the colonel’s dismay. Ranta may be a wacko sometimes, but he was a genius. Serving under Commander Bumi only reinforced his odd leadership style and his development as a soldier. Bumi prepared him to expect the unexpected and to be resourceful. 

As the soldiers flowed into a line the sergeant stepped up front and center. Tavo made sure he was adjacent to him. He knew it would get a rise out of the stupid beast. Drill sergeants aren’t hard to anger and the high commander adored this. He began to slip, trying to hide a menacing smile. 

“Since recruit patchy wants ta get smart wit me, looks like you’re all gonna start training a little earlier than expected.”

One of the recruits dared to speak out. His voice jittery and low. 

‘B-but sir what a-about inpro-’ Before the recruit could even finish the drill sergeant picked him up by his neck and threw him in ragdoll fashion to the end of the line. Sergeant Pantu’s growing anger began to brew and burn.

“ENOUGH QUESTIONS. GET INTO YOUR HORSE STANCES.” Bellowed from deep in his gut. Fueled by the raging fire of hatred that burned in his stomach. He didn’t know who the hell this freak of a recruit thinks he is but he’s about to feel the wrath of a superior soldier. I mean seriously, who does this low life think he is? Friday couldn’t come fast enough. 

The sergeant carved out giant boulders for each of the recruits. Each of the boulders looked to be about 10 feet high and 350 pounds. Tavo rolled his eyes and Ranta let out a huff. They knew where this was going. 

“RRRRRREADY BOULDERS” Moving in harmony all of the cadets extended their fists and deepened their stances, feeling the unforgiving boulder and its weight. Tavo focused and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and saw the chi in his body glow and flow from his core down to his legs and up into his arms and shoulders. 

“NOW LIFT MAGGOTS, LIFT THOSE BOULDERS LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT BECAUSE IT DOES” The drill instructor’s voice began to crack and shake with rage. His cruel demeanor was exhausting him but he didn’t let it show. He needed to show these recruits a lesson. Especially the lanky and chunky one. They were getting on his damn nerves. 

In unison, the rookies lifted the boulders with two fists. Some of the recruits’ arms were already wobbly but the officers were firm and still. Beads of sweat collected on their brows and stung their eyes but neither of them even blinked. 

“Ya better get comfy in that stance. Y’all are gonna be there awhile; you can thank patchy and one armed wonder fer that.” 

The recruits threw daggers of glances at the two men. Ranta and Tavo knew they weren’t going to get any favors from their platoon if they kept this up. It wasn’t even the first day and they had already made enemies. Great. 

After about an hour. (Tavo could only guess by the movement of the sun) recruits began to drop like flies. Left and right they began to fall on their knees and backs, the boulders barely missing their heads. The sergeant walked up and down the line unphased by his fainting and exhausted men. Ranta began to grow weak in the knees but was still solid. Tavo lightened his stance to adjust his feet and try to see what else was on the base but not before the sea serpent sensed a shift in the earth. 

“BEND THOSE KNEES RECRUIT” he nearly sprinted towards the sturdy earthbender. He couldn’t wait to humiliate this bastard. Though he hated to admit it, a part of him was thoroughly impressed, not many make it this far in the hold. Guess he underestimated the strength of patchy and his sidekick. Nonetheless, he slid behind him and kicked the back of his knees forcing him to go deeper into the stance.

Tavo let out a pained grunt but refused to go down. He had to prove he could outlast this power hungry sergeant and show his platoon they can count on him. He had to earn their trust if he was going to survive in this hellhole. In his pain he witnessed his chi pathways begin to change colors. Instead of its typical bright blue it turned into a lime green and he felt his legs stabilize in his deeper stance. He damn near dropped the boulder from how off put he was. That’s never happened to him before, but he sure as hell wasn’t complaining. He felt great, in fact he felt a lot better than when he first started. 

He looked over at Ranta, his body was getting close to giving out. Sweated poured down from his tense forehead to his poking ribs. His legs wobbled and shook, Tavo could see fatigue taking over his body; it was written all over his face. Ranta turned to Tavo in desperation and Tavo gave him the nod. Not even a moment later Ranta dropped the relentless boulder and collapsed to the ground gasping for air. Tavo looked all around him, realizing quickly that he was the only soldier left standing. Sergeant Pantu was furious, the recruit felt his superior’s heart nearly beating out of his chest. The commander was red in the face, filled with an unimaginable frustration. He was sick to his stomach, he had seen enough. 

“ Put the damn boulder down.” Tavo obeyed and looked the sergeant dead in the eye. The towering man got nose to nose with him and squished his face against his recruit. 

“I dunno what yer deal is, cadet, but I’m gonna make yer life a living HELL. I’m gonna make sure you’re worked so hard that you wish for the sweet release of death until I can show you REAL discipline do you understand me?” 

The cadet narrowed his eyes and shouted “Aye Sir”.

“GOOD now get out of my SIGHT.” The sergeant turned around and walked towards the metal bending range. Pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance and humiliation. 

Tavo took a deep breath and swallowed the lump he had in his throat. Ranta looked around at all the exhausted recruits and tried to help some of the recruits back on their feet. The brigadier called for Tavo’s assistance, to which the lieutenant answered by bringing water from rucksacks he found on a nearby truck. The recruits that stood tried to find some help or anywhere they could get cleaned up. They made their way to a white rectangular building on the far side of the base in the front was a sign that said “IN PROCESSING”.   
.

Once they entered they were greeted by doctors, barbers and secretaries. Without a word being spoken the recruits got into a single line and made their way from one end of the building to the other. As they made their way through Tavo made detailed mental notes of his surroundings and his fellow soldiers. He already had enough information for two full intelligence reports but he had to remain patient. He needed to sink deeper into the ranks and he hoped this Friday would be the way in. As the line began to move slowly but surely, Tavo made it to the doctors. They poked and stretched his skin, beamed a bright light into his eyes and examined his near naked body. Next thing he knew he felt 5 consecutive pricks in his upper back and was sent on his way. He rubbed the back of his neck and felt the bumps that began to rise, they were vaccines. Probably ones he didn’t need since the United forces gave them a plethora of shots every time they went on a deployment. 

Next was the barber, he was expecting them to ask him to pick from three different styles but was surprised to find the barber approaching him with a straight razor. Tavo shifted uncomfortably and let the barber work on his hair. He jumped slightly when the barber tugged at the top of his hair and began to shave the entire back of his head. Once he was done with the back he moved to the left side and shaved up to just above the temple, doing the same to the right side. 

The young recruit ran his hand through the back of his head and only felt skin. He started to feel the top of his head and ruffled his hands through the thick chocolate locks. The barber gave him a mirror to look through. What he saw made him cringe,his head looked like a spiky plant. Ranta of course, looked back and started howling calling him lord cactus. Tavo let out a deep growl and flicked his battle buddy who was still howling like a manic lion-hyena. Both of them made it through the rest of the building filing some paperwork and looking through documents then exited and looked up at the clear blue sky. 

Tavo looked at his bare feet and licked his lips. “This is it. We’re now in the Earth Empire army.”

Ranta smiled wide and crossed his arms. “Hell yeah, this is gon’ be FUN.”  
Tavo had a pained expression and turned to Ranta. “Ranta, I...I want you to know if anything ever happens to me, keep going. Forget about me. Leave me in the dust.”

Ranta’s smile quickly faded, his body spinning towards his crazy talking friend ‘Why the hell are you talkin’ like that? Nothin’s gonna happen to you. I won’t let it I-’ The rookie’s words started to spill out of his mouth faster and faster as he spoke, his voice starting to ensue panic. Ranta placed his hands to his temples as if to block out all the intrusive thoughts trying to get into his mind. Tavo put a hand on the man’s shoulder.

“Ranta, it's okay. I just...just don’t know what they’re going to do to me in the pit or the rest of this training. I don’t know if we’re gonna be in the same unit. But I want you to know I’ll never leave you behind as long as I’m alive. Soldier’s honor.” Tavo looked to his young friend with endearment and reassurance. He held out his hand and gave a warm smile.

Ranta took his hand and pulled him in for a tight hug. He didn’t want to think about what could happen to his superior, his battle buddy, his best friend. He knew all that the lieutenant had been through, he hated that he would have to suffer even more. 

They each pulled away and walked towards the barracks to unload and unpack what stuff they had left. Preparing for the nightmare of a week they were about to have. 

And what a nightmare it was. Their commanding officer didn’t make life easy in the slightest. While the other recruits were fed pretty well, Tavo was stuck with scraps. Ranta had the same food as the other recruits (which wasn’t great) but lost his appetite every time he saw the slop Tavo had to eat. Each day was about 16 hours of non stop physical drills, obstacle courses, and impossible tactical training. Pantu made Tavo do a seismic sense exercise with heavy soled combat boots and nearly decapitated him with a metal scrap. 

But they made it. It was Friday. 

Oddly enough, Tavo wasn’t nervous at all. He couldn’t tell if it was the exhaustion, the numbness or the pent up rage he had but he was excited for what the day brought him. The recruits got ready for the day and stormed out of the barracks for the morning rally to receive their orders for the day. Not too long after their commander strutted along doing his usual platoon inspection. Once he found everything satisfactory he marched to the front of the platoon with a shit-eating grin on his face. Seemed like he was in a pretty good mood. 

“GENTLEMAN, today is a fiiiiiine day. Today is the day that I make yer good ol’ friend patchy here into mince meat.The best part is, i'm gonna do it in front of all of ya’ll and da rest of the men on base. Boy is that gonna be a sight to see. Patchy, hope yer prepared cuz there ain’t much else saving ya.” 

Tavo desperately wanted to scream and beat him right then and there. Anger and malice began to consume him. He took a deep breath and contained it. He would need it for later. 

“Because I’m in a good mood, you boys just have mornin’ PT today. Rest of the day you can take off. Dismissed” 

The recruits gave a quick hearty salute and started their morning workouts. Most of the men were ecstatic for their day off but Tavo kept a neutral face. He was not afraid he was going to be beat. He was afraid he would expose himself and his... abilities, causing more attention to himself than needed. Eventually he would have to cause some exposure among the higher ranks but not yet. He’s barely anyone right now which was what he needed for the mission to be successful. He needed to assimilate. 

Tavo finished his last set of workouts and began to walk past Ranta. The recruit stopped at his side and looked forward towards the metal bending ranges. He spoke low and with caution.

“When I fight, I need you to gather information, pay attention to who’s attending, their ranks and information about the base. Hopefully I can get a report up and running by next week. Got it?”

‘Yessir, man I can't’ wait to see you finally kick some butt with your-’

Tavo quickly hushed him. “Are you crazy?! You cannot talk about that here. No one can know about my...abilities.” 

Ranta Rolled his eyes and puffed. “Yeah yeah yeah whateva, i’m just excited to see my best friend take down a barbaric sergeant”

Tavo let out an unamused sigh and began to walk forward. He spun around again to face Ranta while walking backwards. “And DON’T mention this to anyone you blabbermouth, say one word and you’ll get us beheaded.”

The brigadier crossed his arms and pouted. This would be a challenging task knowing Tavo was a freakin’ badass and was gonna beat this chump easily. He was just proud is all. 

The day flew by the boys, when they were done unpacking and cleaning the barracks it was sundown. It was almost time. 

‘Hey Tavo it’s gettin’ pretty late you coming to chow?’

Tavo looked out the window and peered into the distance. “No, go on without me. I’m gonna start preparing.”

Ranta nodded and pushed the door open letting in a cool breeze. Tavo felt it brush against his skin and let his goosebumps rise. He looked towards the steel dome at the very edge of the base and inhaled deeply. He sat on the floor in front of his bunk and began to meditate. Taking deep breaths and saw his chi rise and fall in his chest. He focused on his opponents weak points, remembering his training back in the United Forces. The best way to take down another earthbender is to break their stance, earthbenders are stable and like to stay grounded. Get them out of their comfort zone and they’ll be off guard providing the best time to strike. Be on your toes and be fluid to counter their attacks. 

Tavo shot out of his relaxed state when he heard the barrack doors slam open. Two corporals walked in and stood in front of the door with their hands behind their backs and pursed lips. One of them stepped forward and spoke powerfully. 

“Recruit Tavo, you have challenged Sergeant Patnu to a duel in the pit. It is time for you to keep your word. Come with us.” 

Tavo let a sarcastic sigh escape him as he stood up and took his hand and foot wraps with him and followed the men. 

He was more than ready.

***  
At the southeast corner of the base, inside an underground facility, a stiff, strong woman walks heavily down the hall towards a steel door. She takes her open hand and bends the door to her left slamming the door open. Inside is a tall,tan, lean man shuffling through blueprints and sketches. A pencil is carefully tucked away behind his ear as he frantically keeps reciting numbers and measurements aloud. 

“Good evening, Kuvira” the man stated with apathy. A hint of sarcasm danced in his voice. 

“Baatar ,why did you fail to inform me the pit would be open tonight? I gave you direct orders to tell me when it would be open so I could analyze the new recruits.” Her voice was eerily calm considering she was one step away from slamming her fiance's head through the roof. 

The preoccupied man let out a hefty sigh and stood up to physically greet the angered woman. He approached her with open arms but the stern woman stepped back and bent a piece of metal from her uniform around his wrists clasping them together. Baatar looked down at his restraints and gritted his teeth. 

“Why do you bother with those barbarians when we have much more important work to handle? What happened to focusing on innovation?”

‘Silence. Those “Barbarians” are the ones who are building this empire. They are making our innovations and ideas come to life. They are a reflection of us, I let them have the pit so they could blow off steam and to show off their abilities. To prove their worth and dedication to our empire. I’d like to see what my army has to offer me.’

She grabbed the man’s collar and looked him dead in the eye, installing fear and obedience. 

‘If you dare question my motives again, I will not hesitate to throw you in there myself and by the looks of it, I say you wouldn’t last very long.’ 

Baatar eye’s shook slightly out of pure intimidation and terror. He swallowed hard and let out a whimper. “Y-yes Great Uniter I u-understand.”

The woman tucked her chin and smiled. ‘Good, now clean up your mess. I’m going to change and see what my men have to offer me.’ 

Kuvira entered her suite and opened her wardrobe to find her disguise; a corporal uniform with an officer's cap. She laid the uniform out on the bed neatly then sat at her vanity and began to braid her hair and tuck it into the cap. Her arms extended and her hands crossed in front of her chest and her metal rings and shoulder pads placed themselves onto the side of the vanity. The woman released a soft exhale and stripped off her dichromatic long dress and her brown leggings. Her sculpted back and shoulders tracing the outlines of her white tank top, her legs defined and slender. They guided her back to the bed to grab the crisp uniform and hold it out to examine its condition. A moment after the woman’s chest squared and puffed, her hard lined expression faced the mirror as she buttoned the uniform. She pulled the bottom down to straighten it and ran her hands to smooth out any remaining imperfections and walked back into the lounge to see a still shaking Baatar buried in his work, reciting his numbers. She snickered and made her trek to the metal dome. 

She really didn’t need to disguise herself, but she knew that if she walked in with the men knowing she’s there the participants would be flashy and dramatic and the spectators would be hesitant. She wanted to see her soldiers authentic and unyielding. She wanted to know how they truly fought. You can tell a lot by a person in their posture and their fighting style. 

The crisp night air filled her nose and lungs with a refreshing cold breath. She took it in as she approached the dome. She was halted by two soldiers standing at attention blocking the doorway. They looked at the smaller soldier with suspicion and drove their feet into the ground. Kuvira could tell the men were watchful and played along. 

“Platoon and rank.” The bigger officer asked while inspecting the soldier’s uniform. 

Mindlessly, the quick witted woman responded “platypus-bear, corporal.”

The soldier looked at the arms and found the rank matched what the runty soldier said. The guard nodded towards the other and they moved aside. Kuvira placed her hands behind her back and entered the dome. What she found was an arena filled with rowdy and roughed-up soldiers desperately craving for a break and violence. Something in that observation alone unsettled her. Her body slowly began to tense and in a panic she made her way down towards the edge of the pit. She looked closer and saw that the arena was indeed, just a dirt pit. It was no more than a 20 foot circular indent in the ground with two carved out holes on each side. In the middle were 5 foot metal poles laid out parallel to each other. 

This wasn’t the first time she visited the fighting grounds but each time she felt the same. Her heart fluttered in her chest with excitement and fear. Her tongue and lips turned dry and her hands became clammy. She hated not knowing things. She hated not having control of what was about to come. All she could do was watch.

***  
Tavo was brought to a small dim chamber by the officers. They shoved him in and one entered the room and gave a grim smile. 

“You’re next, kid. I dunno what you did to piss off Pantu, but boy is he gonna rip you to shreds.” 

Tavo snarled and sent a rock flying their way but before it could make contact with the soldier the door slammed shut. Tavo panted for a few seconds and took a deep breath. He sat down on the floor criss cross and rested his hands palm up on his thighs. He couldn’t fight like this. He needed to have a level head and solid connections. He led his focus inward and observed his chi. It burned hot and had a reddish orange glow to it. The officer straightened his back and inhaled sharply through his nose and exhaled comfortably out of his mouth. As his rib cage rose and fell so did his chi. He noticed it beginning to flow through his body instead of settling into his stomach. He grinned as it turned neon teal and spread throughout his arms and legs. He opened his eyes and felt his heart lift. He stood up and prepared his wraps. Something in him told him to not wear foot wraps so he obeyed and just wrapped his hands. He took off his white t-shirt and hopped out of his trousers to reveal baggy boxing shorts with a studded wide band. The young man rolled his shoulders back and cracked his knuckles. Not a moment later the door swung open again and a soldier motioned for Tavo to come out. As he exited, the soldier took his arm and put a thin metal band around it. 

Tavo became defensive and confused. “What’s this for?” 

“You’ll find out.” The soldier didn’t even blink or face Tavo but seemed eager to see whatever was about to happen go down. 

Tavo got to the entrance of the pit but was halted by the soldiers. A Man hopped down from the stands and motioned for the crowd to make some noise. It wasn’t a hard task as the arena exploded with hollars and chants. The Man in the ring caught a microphone thrown to him and spun around examining the crowd. He gave a wicked smile and spoke in a provoking manner to stir up the crowd even more.

“LLLLLLADIES AND GENTLEMANNNN SOOOOOLIDERS OF THE EARTH EMPIRE WELCOOMMEEEE….TO THE PIT” 

As soon as those last three words were spoken the soldiers cheered and screamed in excitement like children seeing their favorite probender. To them this was their probending, since they weren’t allowed to attend or listen to actual matches on the radio. Kuvira was attuned to the announcer when she felt a body nudge her and sit down next to her. It was a younger soldier about her age with jet black hair, skinny with a horrendous mermaid tattoo on his bicep. The man looked at her up and down and nodded in greeting. “ ‘sup, the names Ranta” Kuvira gave an uninterested look and focused back onto the announcer. Ranta shrugged and began to eat the leftover fire flakes he had his pocket from last night’s chow. 

“You know the rules, each contender has a metal band on their arm made of pure platinum. The goal is to get the armband off the other soldier without any resistance. The first to do this, wins.” 

The announcer turned and pointed to the center of the ring. 

“Two metal rods have been placed in the center. One of them is steel and the other is platinum. Fighters must choose quickly and carefully if they are to gather any advantage.” 

The announcer looked at the crowd once more and fed off their excitement “NOW ITS TIIIIME to meet youurrrr fightersss.” 

The announcer gave the crowd a moment to let out their last holler before calming down to hear who was subjected to tonight’s festivities. 

“In the south corner, we have a fan favorite, you know him, you LOVE HIM, GIVE IT UP FOR..SEEAARRGANT PANTU.” 

As the amped up sergeant made his way around the pit like a gorilla sloth Kuvira rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She knew sergeant Pantu all too well. He always challenges one recruit every damn shipment they get. She figured this was going to be a quick fight and debated on going back to her chambers but curiosity bested her to stay and see his challenger. The eager soldier next to her elbowed her and gave her a side eye. ‘So..who ya rootin’ for?’ Kuvira started to get annoyed and looked the other way. “No one.” 

“AAAAND in the north corner, we got some fresh meat, folks. He hails from the state of Hisho, give a warm, bloodthirsty welcome tooo cADET TAVOOOOO.” 

Tavo walked out slowly and expressionless. Taking four paces out of the doorway and standing with clenched fists at his sides and his feet shoulders length apart. He felt the walls close behind him with rock colliding into one another with a distinct sound. He let his eyes scan the crowd and spotted Ranta in the front row rooting harder than any other soldier. He wasn’t surprised by this, but by the soldier next to Ranta. Something in him drew his attention to them. Something was interesting about them but he didn’t know exactly what. 

He stared directly into the eye of the wild boarqpine he was about to scrap with. Tavo was unafraid but cautious. He knew his opponent could be hot tempered and unpredictable if provoked. He had a plan. 

“SOLDIERS, TAKE YOUR STANCES.” 

Pantu went first and proceeded to sink into a side horse stance. His fists were clenched tight and arms were squared. One to his hip and one to his head. This was a typical earthbending stance and Tavo was unsurprised by this choice in stance. It was sturdy and didn’t give a lot of openings to an attacker. 

Tavo shut his eyes and took an eased breath. When he opened them, he took his right leg and bent his right knee behind him and extended his left leg forward. He lifted his left heel and pointed his toes so they would make solid contact with the earth beneath him. His left arm curved around his head with an open palm shielding his forehead. His right arm faced the ground also with an open palm. The room fell silent. 

Kuvira raised an eyebrow and felt her lips separate from intrigue. That’s a strange opening. It doesn’t even look like it's from earthbending origin. 

Pantu puffed his cheeks and let his face grow red before letting out a mocking laugh. Soon the onlookers followed his lead. 

“What kinda stance is THAT? Oh man this should be quick. Fer your sake I hope it is.” The superior smirked and resumed his position. Tavo didn’t speak a word or shift besides the narrowing in his eyes. 

The announcer bent a piece of earth beneath him to boost himself out of the ring and land beside a bell. 

“ALright gentleman, FIGHT” 

At the third ding of the bell Pantu took two giant strides and grabbed one of the metal bars. Tavo stayed in his stance and predicted his opponent's movements like reading a book. The smaller man spun his body in a circle with his left leg still extended making the solid earth turn to loose sand. Pantu tried to take another step forward but instead fell flat onto his stomach. Quickly getting up, the sergeant stumbled but managed to take a piece of earth from the side wall and punch it towards his opponent. Tavo ducked and sent a swirl of sand into his opponent’s face; a moment later he twisted his right hand 90 degrees and let the earth become solid again. Tavo quickly ran towards his opponent, careful not to create too heavy of footprints. He hopped to get his feet off the ground and landed heavy body punches and kicks ranging from Pantu’s gut to his shoulders and neck. Pantu covered his face with his hands taking the blows but flinching each time he was hit. Tavo was much smaller but he was landing bombs. Pantu was backed into a wall when he managed to land a kick onto Tavo’s ribs. The kick uprooted Tavo and caused the soldier to fall 10 feet away from the monster of a man. Tavo laid onto the ground a second before rocking back to his feet. He put his hands up and tucked his chin. He hopped on the balls of his feet with both of his heels suspended. He began to shift his weight side to side and saw Pantu trying to recover from the blasting Tavo unleashed. The two riled up men both planning to strike; both just waiting for the right moment. Tavo planted his feet but his vision flashed something he was not expecting. His surroundings were blacked out. He couldn't see anything clearly except a brownish-purple blob in the vague form of a human figure that replaced his opponent. 

Tavo gasped and leaned back dropping his fists to his hips. What...what was that? 

His opponent took advantage of Tavo’s vulnerability and proceeded to strike. He motioned a rock slide to come under Tavo’s right foot while he was stepping back forcing the younger challenger to break his stance and fumble faster. The sergeant took two boulders and flung them into Tavo. Hitting him in the chest and his temple. When the boulders hit the ground so did Tavo.

Kuvira let a soft gasp leave her lips as she witnessed the horrific attack being executed. She wasn’t surprised per se but she cringed at the impact. She tucked her head into her chest and snarled. Angered by the emotional response she just expressed. She didn't even know the soldier in the ring. There were plenty that came before him; she never felt this way before about any of them. Why was she so appalled at the attack? This was a typical Friday night. What was so different?

His stance, his fighting style, his posture, the way he carried himself into the ring....if he wins...ah listen to yourself Kuvira, how pathetic you sound. Just shut up and watch. 

Desperate attempts to stand up were futile for Tavo. The world was coming in and out of view. His lungs and back felt as if they were being stabbed with burning knives. His eyelids slowly met in defeat and exhaustion, but the lieutenant general did not see darkness. He saw his own body form into a blob, his chi switching and dancing into a multitude of colors. The voice of General Iroh echoed in his head. 

The world needs you, Tavo. Strike when your opponent is most off guard. 

Tavo shot open his eyes and opened his palms flat against the ground. He didn’t move the rest of his body to fool his opponent. He even let out a pained groan to lure the beast in closer. The sergeant began to fall right into Tavo’s trap. Pantu laughed and walked towards him with arrogance and pride.

“Heh, heh, heh. See what happens when you mess with ol’ Pantu? Ya get CREAMED.” The superior lifted his arms in victory and faced the energized crowd. Kuvira gritted her teeth and stood up quickly. She couldn’t take anymore of this nonsense. She took one vengeful look at the dirt arena and turned her back. She was about to take a step when the pestering soldier next to her faced her direction and cried out “HEY wait don’t go yet you’re ‘bout to miss da best part.” Kuvira turned around to face the pit wondering what could possibly be next. 

Pantu stood over the fallen Tavo and yanked his arm and attempted to grab the metal ring on the limp extremity. As soon as his opponent grabbed his arm Tavo twisted to his back and motioned a right hook punch. A boulder shot up from the ground with incredible speed hitting Pantu square in the side of the jaw. The sergeant instantly released and Tavo hopped back on his feet. Kuvira was frozen in place from shock and elation. She slowly made her way back down to her seat. Something bloomed in her stomach and she felt her chest flutter. 

“WWWWOOOO see I told ya, this is da best part!” Ranta screeched and lightly punched the still shaken soldier next to him. Kuvira nodded along, her focus honed in on the stubborn recruit. To say she was impressed was an understatement. No one had ever bested Pantu like that before. Spirits no one ever even landed a clean hit on him. She felt her breathing hitch ever so slightly but quickly corrected it. Spirits, what was wrong with her? 

Pantu stumbled backwards as Tavo lifted the earth beneath the sea serpent’s feet. Pantu shifted more and more weight to each side desperate to keep his balance and bent a huge piece of earth from the side of the pit towards the lieutenant. He managed to get it airborne and get his feet back onto solid ground. Tavo dug his feet into the earth and held out his arms with his palms together and fingers pointed. He let the boulder collide with him, his hands separating the boulder with a clean cut down the middle as he moved his arms further and further apart. Pantu stiffened at the sheer site of it. With Pantu off guard and the last part of the intact boulder concealing Tavo he leaped over the remaining piece and got into close range with Pantu storming him with a flurry of kicks. He made contact the first few times but then the sea serpent started to counter. With every hit he attempted, Tavo effortlessly dodged or blocked. Pantu roared in frustration and leaned his body weight into his last strike to which Tavo kneeled underneath him and lifted the beast off the ground and threw him to the other side of the arena. Before Pantu even had a chance to stand up Tavo ran onto the wall and closed in on Pantu’s position. He jumped off and landed a spinning roundhouse kick onto Pantu’s temple. Pantu absorbed the blow and remained standing. His rage was the only thing keeping him alive and in the ring but the fire inside him began to die out. His movements became sloppier and more brash. Tavo noticed his opponent was leaving more and more space for tavo to close in and make the final strike. Pantu found the metal rod behind his leg and kicked it up to grab it. Tavo leaned back as far as he could so the whizzing steel rod wouldn’t break his nose. Every time Pantu struck left Tavo was right. Pantu let out one final beastly roar and lifted the metal rod behind his head. Pantu smiled with the same arrogance as before. His smile was wiped off his face quickly when he felt a flat rigid shard smack against his chin. Tavo took advantage of his sergeant’s carelessness and came in with an earth uppercut, sending the beast quickly to the ground limp and lifeless. The cheers and noise of the arena settled. The air was still. Tavo’s vision went dark again and saw the same thing when the fight first started except this time it was a deep blood red. It wasn’t moving it was still and its glow was dim. Tavo froze in realization. 

What he was seeing was Sergeant Pantu’s chi. 

He couldn’t believe it. His lips moved but nothing escaped. He looked around the arena and saw the silent soldiers gazing at him in astonishment and utter disbelief. Tavo snapped his head back to the sergeant lying still and slowly removed the metal ring from his enormous bicep. He hid it from the crowd for a moment but turned in triumph. Lifting both hands grasping the platinum metal ring. The victor broke the silence with a prideful bellow and soon the arena volume was deafening. Everyone roared and screamed in pride and joy. Tavo fell to his knees and bent his back, roaring to the sky. Ranta couldn’t contain himself and jumped into the ring. Soon their whole platoon followed and surrounded Tavo in a newfound respect and liking. Ranta lifted him up onto his shoulders and paraded him around the ring. Tavo looked around at his peers in wonder and happiness. He took the ring and put between his teeth and let out a hearty laugh. He turned his head to where Ranta’s seat was and made eye contact with the mystery soldier he saw before. He felt his heart skip a beat and his stomach drop down deeper into his gut. Kuvira stared sharply into the lieutenant looking into his golden hazel eye and his clouded one with a burning curiosity and version of lust she had never felt before. 

I need to talk to him.

Tavo was lost in the soldier’s pine green eyes. It was almost like time had stopped.

I have to find them.

Tavo leaned down to Ranta urgently and asked who the soldier next to him was. Ranta shrugged. 

“Dunno, kinda stand-offish, didn’t really wanna talk.” When Tavo brought his head back up the soldier was gone. Something in Tavo ripped and sunk into his chest. He was frightened at first by the feeling but was greeted by a wave of calm. Something in him said they would meet again. 

After the uncomfortable and unworldly moment she experienced, Kuvira quickly made her exit. Kicking herself for how vulnerable and soft she had become. Nearly running towards the bunker entrance she felt her stomach burn and melt. She stopped for a moment and took a sharp breath to calm herself down. Desire and curiosity filled her mind. Scenes from the fight replayed over and over in her head. She was so consumed by thought she hadn’t even realized she was standing outside of her chamber door. She quickly bent open the door and slammed it shut, jolting Baatar awake who fell asleep at his desk. Kuvira stood in front of her bedroom door but halted. She smirked and tucked her chin in satisfaction.

“Congratulations Baatar, I just found your newest member of the Eel-Hounds.” 

Baatar cocked an eyebrow and sat up. ‘Oh? And who is this new member?” 

Kuvira opened the bedroom door but still didn’t turn to him. 

“Cadet Tavo. Find him and induct him.” 

She closed the bedroom door and Baatar let out a huff. He wasn’t pleased he had to train and induct a new member into his platoon. Kuvira overheard and cracked the bedroom door.

“I promise. You will not be disappointed.”


	8. Uprooted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Nightmares, lost parent, description of injuries
> 
> Doubt-twenty one pilots
> 
> Thanks so much for reading :)

In his high of victory and satisfaction, Tavo allowed himself to be carried out of the pit. He was hollering and howling the whole way out as his platoon chimed in on the antics. Victory tasted oh so very sweet to the young lieutenant. He nearly forgot the pain from his bruised chest and cut up face. His team rallied behind him and kept the energy going until they reached the barracks. The noise died down from victorious cries to light conversations. As the energy simmered down the platoon branched off to their respective barracks leaving hearty and sincere congratulations to Tavo. Tavo and Ranta were the last to head into the cold metal building and wound down for Tavo to begin his healing. When they walked in Tavo winced and swung an arm over his chest digging his nails into the side of his rib cage. Ranta rubbed the poor man’s back and guided him towards their bunk bed. Thank the spirits Tavo had the bottom bunk because there was no way the brigadier could lift his friend onto the top bunk. He would’ve been crushed by the mass of muscle. The large soldier shifted and tried getting comfortable in his bed but he hissed and moaned at every movement his body made. He didn’t realize how bad he was hurt. His chest felt it was burning from the inside out and his head was throbbing. 

Tavo groaned: “gah, I knew Pantu could pack a punch but damn he’s got me good.”

Ranta chuckled and reached for a first aid kit underneath the bed. Tavo looked over in surprise. 

“Where’d you get that from?”

“ From our pals back home, it’s got healing water, bandages, spark rocks, the whole nine yards. Betcha this stuff will fix ya real quick.” Tavo laid his head back down in anticipation and fatigue.

Ranta flipped the lid of the box and took out the vile of a strange liquid. Ranta recognized it and sighed in relief. It was northern spirit oasis water. 

‘Count ya self lucky Ta, usually, to activate water’s healing abilities, you needed a water bender but with spirit oasis water you could pour directly on a wound and it would be absorbed and healed.’

Spirits Tavo hated when Ranta called him that. The injured gentleman rolled his eyes and grunted. Both of the men looked at the hefty vile, conspiring as to how their superior managed to get such a hefty dose. Ranta twisted the cork in the vile and carefully poured the cool blueish liquid onto Tavo’s beaten and bruised chest. Tavo let out a painful groan then relaxed as he felt the water seep into his skin and heal his broken ribs and bruised lungs. He smiled weakly as he felt the healing water make its way to his temple. 

“Man I don’t know what I’d do without that stuff. I feel like a million yuans already.”

Both of the men let out childish laughs and let nostalgia take over the conversation. They talked of simpler times and childish adventures. Ranta pointed towards his childhood friend and tried to talk through his laughter. 

‘Hey remember that time Ghan tried to ask ya out in school when we were like 12 and ya socked him right in the mouth?’

Tavo squeezed his eyes shut and giggled “HA, yeah and my mother wondered why my hand was bloody and bruised and I told her you had a bloody nose. OH what about the time ya tried to steal a cabbage from the cabbage merchant and he kept screamin’ about it!”

‘But he never got it back! Ah man, what wicked good times we had. I remember when you still had long hair and had to wear those floozy dresses.’

Tavo straightened his lips and sat up. “Yeah, it’s amazing how things change so quickly…”

‘Yeah, ya know I remember when ya first got your chest scars your dad-’

Ranta halted his breath and looked over to Tavo who gave him an ominous glance. Ranta looked away and rubbed the back of his head with his rocky arm. ‘Sorry, I forgot it was a touchy subject…’ 

Both men looked down and sat in silence for a few minutes before Tavo broke the awkward mood. “I’m sure that performance tonight caught a lot of people’s attention. We’re gonna have to lay low for a while.” 

‘Yyyyyeah ‘bout that… was talkin to some guys at chow tonight and it turns out we’re getting our platoon assignments on Monday. Apparently the expedited the process ‘cuz they’re workin ahead of schedule’ 

Tavo hit his forehead with his palm, burying his face. Figures. “Well hopefully we get put into the same platoon” 

‘And if we don’t?’

Tavo slid his hand down to his chin. “They can’t be moving us far, we’re pretty close to some big Earth Kingdom states so they’re going to need bodies.”

The brigadier twiddled with his thumbs and bit his lip anxiously. Tavo glanced over and gave the brigadier a glimmer of hope. “C’mon don’t you know me? We’ll figure it out. We’ve done it plenty of times before.” Meekly the younger man nodded and curled up tighter. He was frightened at the thought they might be separated and he won’t be able to help Tavo if he needed it. He wasn’t able to in the United Forces, but he made a promise to himself he would never let that happen again. EVER. Though Tavo was more than capable of handling himself he always felt a brotherly bond with him. A protective urge that he could never shake. Before Tavo even transitioned he thought of the older boy as a brother. Tavo always got him out of trouble when they were kids, it was about time he did the same. 

“C’mon let’s get to bed, I think we both need the rest.” 

Without saying a word the slender soldier hopped onto the ladder and leaped into the firm mattress. Once he settled in he called out ‘goodnight’ 

“Goodnight buddy, see ya in the morning.” The older man flipped into his side and nuzzled his head into the pillow. Images of that night and of Pantu’s chi flooded his conscience. How in the name of the spirits was he able to pull that off? How was he able to do it again and if he did could he control what he saw? What does it MEAN? Ugh. Tavo inhaled organizing the speeding thoughts into a mental ball and exhaling it out of his head. Leaving him with only sleep and emptiness. Tavo let his eyes grow heavy and guide him to a peaceful slumber. 

Tavo…  
Tavo…  
Tavo…. 

The Lieutenant General flipped open his eyes and looked around. He was lying on his back in the same arena he had just fought in earlier. Except this time it was empty. There was a creepy and still silence that shook Tavo straight to his core. He rocked up to his feet and scanned his surroundings. Nothing. He arched an eyebrow and stepped back but felt something behind when he put down his foot. The soldier froze in place and sucked in his breath. He stayed in his position for a second then swung a decent sized rock with his foot towards the presence, but it was gone when he turned to face it. A cold sweat broke out over his forehead and shoulders and his fingers began to shake. He slid around to see who was speaking when the room went black. Tavo tried to blink away the darkness but couldn’t see a thing. Tavo wanted to shout but the words weren’t coming out. In frustration, he punched the ground to scramble the flat bedrock beneath him. He tried standing up straight but something struck him in the back and pinned him to the ground on his stomach. Tavo struggled and squirmed to get up but the more he moved the more the weight on his back pressed him against the ground. He craned his neck to look up and felt his body shudder. 

On the other side of the ring was an older, towering muscular man wearing Tavo’s clothes. His face was square and hard filled. The man had seen some things in his life and bore a guarded exterior. Wrinkles hugged the side of his eyes and his mouth. His jawline was sharp enough to cut through paper. His eyes were slick and seemingly all knowing. The golden hazel irises were familiar to Tavo. His right cheek had a wide linear scar running across it similar to Tavo’s. His lips soft and wise spoke warmly towards the lower man. 

“You have a gift, my boy. Practice and you will be powerful. You have been given a great responsibility.” 

Tavo felt his whole body ache in longing and tried even harder to escape the weight keeping him pinned. Tears flowed as he struggled. 

“Do not be afraid. I am with you. I have always been with you. You must go. Remember what I taught you.”

Tavo finally broke free and sprinted towards the taller man. 

“DAD. DAD WAIT I-” 

As he was about to grab the older gentleman’s shoulder his eyes shot open and his lungs inflated with painfully cold air. Causing an audible gasp to escape his lips. Tavo became painfully aware of his current space and nestled his head between his knees to bring the rest of his body back to reality. 

He should’ve known. He’s had dreams like those before but never one that realistic. Tavo felt wetness sliding down his cheeks and quickly wiped it away. He jumped out of bed and looked at the barrack clock. 5:45 am. He had to be up in 15 minutes anyway, might as well start getting ready now. 

Tavo rolled over and planted his feet. He was caught off guard to feel that someone was already standing and awake. He peered up to the top bunk and found it empty. Looks like Ranta didn’t sleep well either. He shuffled his way to the communal bathroom and found the younger man splashing water onto his face. 

“Hey, bud.”   
‘GAAH’

Ranta nearly jumped out of his skin. He had no idea anyone else was awake. He should’ve realized Tavo might have been since he heard him tossing and turning all night. 

‘Phew, just you. Didn’t realize you were up this early. Guess you didn’t sleep well either.’

“Not particularly, no. We both had the right idea to beat the rush.” 

‘Heh, yeah…’  
Neither of them dared to say a word. The fear of reality that they may be separated for the first time since they were kids began to set in. Ranta clenched onto the sides of the porcelain sink then perked up. He looked over to his friend with a wild streak in his eye. Tavo knew that look. Ranta had a plan.

‘What if we can be separated but together?’   
Tavo raised a skeptic eyebrow. Sometimes he wonders if Ranta really is insane. Some of the stuff that comes out of his mouth is really out there. 

‘Hear me out, we have to write intelligence reports and we need to compile all of our data together right?’

“Right…”

‘I’ve noticed the platoons don’t have a reliable form of communication with each other, but the divisions do! If I can get us into the same division there’s a good chance we can still be on the same base or at least not too far from each other!’

Tavo’s gears were starting to turn and began to put the pieces together. “We don’t NEED to be in the same platoon just in the same division.”

‘EXACTLY, we won’t see each other as often but it’s better than nothing and it’ll keep our heads down low.’

“Yeah.. Ranta, you’re mad but you’re a genius”

Both of them relaxed and released the tension in their shoulders and necks. Ranta sported an ear to ear grin but Tavo stayed in his mind. 

Maybe there was some hope after all. Divisions usually contain dozens of platoons there’s a good chance they would end up in the same one. It would give good communication and divert attention away from them. This could actually work. 

Ranta grabbed his shower kit and flipped on the water as the morning bell rang. The platoon moved as one. A well oiled machine with a load of moving parts. Soldiers moved lazily but with intent. Some grabbed their shaving kits others grabbed their shower caddies. Tavo took his razor and moved it up and down along his jaw and chin, his focus on only the razor and his skin. He hated looking in the mirror when he didn’t have to. Every time he did shame and anger rose in his abdomen. His face cold and disgusted. When the razor cut the last hair on his chin he dipped his face into the stinging cold running water sending a rush to his nervous system. Shaking his head to rid of the last reminisce of fatigue and sleep off, his hands moved to the top of his head. Thankfully his hair grew in a little bit so he was able to slick back his hair with grease up to code. He gathered his supplies then made his way back to his bunk to dress in his everyday uniform. He was about to unload it from his trunk when the barrack door opened. Tavo looked up and instantly shot to attention as did the other soldiers. It was the captain of the company. That’s odd. It’s a Saturday, he shouldn’t be on duty today. 

“At ease. Today’s dress code and formation are changed. Class A’s and parade formation today. Be in line in 20 minutes.”

The captain turned around and swiftly walked out the door. Parade formation? That’s only used for final battles and...graduation. Looks like Ranta’s info was bad. Platoon selection isn’t Monday, it's TODAY. Dammit. Looks like their moment of truth came a little earlier than expected. Tavo switched his uniforms and put on his fancier uniform. It was very similar to his everyday uniform but the borders were highlighted with teal silk and the fabric was thinner and more lightweight. The collar was lined with silver metal wire and the shoulders had indents for metal shoulder pads. He wondered what his dress blues or tuxedo uniform or...whatever they called it look like. Pantu said they wouldn’t be getting those until they get to their permanent units. 

Ranta shuffled out of the bathroom and came up next to Tavo whispering in his ear. 

‘Looks like it’s our lucky day.’ 

“I guess so, from now on if we can’t communicate in person, we'll communicate via telegram. You remember neutral Morse code?” 

‘Do I? Bumi would “test”us weekly on it. I know it like the back of my hand.’ 

“Good, we might need it. Transmissions from me will always come after midnight. To the United Forces.”

‘To the United Forces.’ 

Ranta smirked while Tavo furrowed his eyebrows. He knew he had to stay focused, but he really worried about Ranta. He had a tendency to run rampant and come out blazing. He didn’t want him to lose sight of the bigger mission. Wherever his battle buddy ended up, he hoped it was close by. 

The men finished their morning routines and jogged out of the barracks to get to their spots. The soldiers could feel the others holding their breath with eagerness and anticipation. The captain marched out in front of them with an alarmingly content look on his face. A horn was sound and two metalbenders ran up on both sides of the captain. The superior cleared his throat and raised his chin:

“SOLDIERS, today is a very special day for you. You have shown nothing but grit, loyalty and strength through this past week. So much in fact, that we have decided you have proven your worth and have earned your place in the Earth Empire. Today you become a part of a greater cause, you give back to your nation, you bring order to chaos. Today, you aid the great uniter in the quest to unify our beautiful country. You will be getting your assignments and will be shipping out to your assignments on monday. I will go down the row and tell you your new platoon and give you your rank. Once you are given your rank, you are dismissed.”

The captain started on the far end then shuffled down the line. The platoons were listed by animals and the captain was giving their specific duty. Tavo concentrated and tried to listen in on each one. Goatbunnies were infantry...Scorpionbees were aviation...mooselions was the mechasuit division… Before he could blink the captain was face to face with Ranta. Tavo bit his lip lightly in panic, praying whatever was coming to him was something somewhat quiet and boring. 

“Corporal Ranta, you are in the platypusbears. You will be engaged in explosives and counterintelligence.”

Tavo had to resist the temptation of rolling his eyes. The irony, it was almost like the universe just wanted to jinx him.Tavo could see his friend hide a beaming grin. Ranta thanked the officer and hustled back towards the barracks. He turned and looked back behind him but saw the captain walk away from Tavo. That’s strange. Ranta looked left and right to see if anyone was watching. Thankfully, the coast was clear and he hid behind the side of the barracks, trying to listen in on what was happening. 

The two metal benders rushed in front of Tavo side by side and then stood in parade rest. Tavo gazed left, then right, but saw no one else. He clenched his fists behind him ready for anything that was coming to him. He began to frown with his eyebrows and say something when a voice came from behind the two men. 

“No need to worry, you will be assigned to a unit.”

When the sentence was finished, the two metalbenders separated to reveal a handsome younger man with square glasses and tan, smooth skin. His hair was slicked back like Tavo’s and donned a small goatee. He gave an amiable smile and took a step past the two metalbenders. 

“In fact, you will be assigned to my unit. I am Baatar Jr., co-leader of the Earth Empire and commander of your unit.” 

Tavo’s heart stopped. He did not expect to get to, let alone work, so closely with the co-leader of the operation. The mission just became a lot easier. 

‘I-it’s an honor to work for you, sir.’

“WITH me, in the Earth Empire, everyone is equal. We share knowledge to improve the lives of all who live in it.”

Ranta’s jaw was to the floor. He couldn’t believe his ears and eyes. Tavo was going to be under the command of the FREAKING LEADER?! Jackpot. He didn’t even care if they were in different units at this point; he was ecstatic for Tavo and the completion of the mission. 

He fixed his gaze on Tavo’s commander and felt heart drop into his stomach. He saw the tall, fit man talk to Tavo in what seemed like slow motion. His new found attraction flashed his eyes towards him. With a gasp and a near heart attack Ranta put his back flat against the wall. Bracing for the consequences he was about to face but was relieved and offset by the lack of punishment. 

Baatar Jr. turned towards his new soldier and looked him straight in the eyes. 

“You have been selected to be a candidate for the Eel Hounds. The most elite squadron in the Earth Empire. Out of 25,000 soldiers, 20 are selected to be candidates and 5 will be selected to serve under mine and Kuvira’s command.”

‘What tests will be facing sir?”

“Those will be discussed tomorrow. You will not be leaving with the rest of the men. You leave tomorrow evening. Meet me at the metal range at sunset.”

Tavo chewed the inside of his gums and stared deeply into his supposed commander’s eyes. Tavo tried to feel for any sign of potential movement but felt none. He grew increasingly flustered, he couldn’t get a read on this guy. Something was amidst. 

‘I look forward to it sir.’ 

“Good, I wish you the best of luck. You are dismissed.” Tavo gave a sharp salute and hustled back to the barracks. When the recruit was out of earshot Baatar scowled.

“You’re going to need it.”

Ranta heard that last bit and bit his tongue. He needed to tell Tavo something shady was happening. He quietly ran back towards the barracks and searched for Tavo. He was disrobing his class A’s and preparing his gym attire. Ranta grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. Trying to catch his breath, he put both of his hands on each shoulder. 

‘We need to talk.’


	9. Bloom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Violence, blood, mentions of surgery and parental abandonment
> 
> DNA-Kendrick Lamar 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading :)

‘We need to talk.’

Tavo smiled lazily and already knew what he was going to bring up. He had heard the silver tongue of his new commander. Whatever happened to the direct and stubborn nature of the Earth Kingdom?

“Don’t worry, I know that whole pleasant conversation was a front. The man’s heartbeat was going a mile a minute. He’s lying about the tests. My guess is that he’s just testing me. Ya know, as weird as it sounds, I kind of like that better. If I can prove myself to him, then it’ll get me the intelligence I need faster and I can finally get a better picture of this whole operation.”

Ranta looked at the older soldier dumbfounded but soon developed a cocky smile. ‘HA that’s my Tavo! Always one step ahead.’ 

Tavo acknowledged the comment by giving a sly smirk. “What about you mister bomber? You must be happy about that.” 

‘I’d say it’s a match made by the spirits! Help whoever gets in my waaaay MWHAHAHHA’ 

Tavo rolled his eyes and gave a swift, playful nudge to his partner in crime. He let the smile and playful nature linger on his face for a little while longer when an idea struck him. 

“Hey Ranta, can we go out to the training area, I want to try something.” 

‘Erm...okay.’

Ranta hopped off the top bunk and trotted behind Tavo. He could practically see the thoughts traveling through Tavo’s head. It’s very rare the officer does anything without a plan or at least a thought process. Tavo was not the impulsive type. Every time Ranta dragged him into something unexpected, Tavo loathed it. He would ask the younger man a million and one questions and nearly dull the thrill. 

Once they arrived at the training area, Ranta stood in the center, letting his eyes scour the room. Tavo took ten steps forward then faced his partner and crossed his arms behind his back. 

“Okay, now get into a combat stance.” 

Ranta assumed the position, readying his hands and flattening his feet. Tavo lifted his leg to his chest and inhaled deeply. He held his stance for a brief moment before stomping his foot onto the ground, letting the white waves pulse and his grey tinted surroundings form an image behind his eyes. He could feel Ranta and his surroundings clearly. He even felt his brigadier’s heartbeat and his chest rise and fall with each breath. Though this was not out of the ordinary for him. Nothing changed within his seismic sense, all the shapes and figures were similar to those he saw before he saw Pantu’s chi. The lieutenant’s attention began to fixate on something nearby. Though it wasn’t above ground. The waves shot back at Tavo in magnificent strength. What in the world was that? It was larger than anything he had ever felt or seen before. It was beyond comprehension, it was nearly the entire size of the base. 

NO...it couldn’t be...could it? 

The officer stood up straight in bewilderment. He opened his eyes and beamed them towards Ranta. 

“Ranta, did you feel that?”

The new corporal shook his head but copied Tavo’s motion and maintained his stance. Ranta flipped open his eyes in astoundment and a tinge of fear. He felt the strange disturbance underneath him and felt something intangible. 

‘It’s...i-it’s a network of tunnels...I think it’s made of-’

“Platinum. There’s a series of platinum tunnels and rooms running throughout the base. It’s massive. Now why would a ‘peacekeeping’ force need an underground facility?” 

****

Back in his chambers, Baatar Jr. was frantically scribbling notes on the side of a large notepad. Still stewing and sour that he had to bring on another Eel hound. What was wrong with the men he had now? They were some of their most trusted advisors and some of the best soldiers in the entire Earth Kingdom, possibly the WORLD. They’ve been with Baatar and Kuvira since they left Zaofu. Why fix something that isn’t broken? What happened to open communication between him and Kuvira? Why is she keeping him in the dark?

The young inventor pondered on the questions rattling through him when the captain of the base hustled in. He stopped in front of Baatar’s messy desk with jumbled papers falling off the sides and addressed his superior. 

“Everything is ready for the recruits to depart, sir.” 

Baatar didn’t look up, he continued to scribble and crunch numbers. Unconcerned, he flicked his pencil upwards.

“And the testing arrangements?”

‘Ready sir, the new Eel hound is ready to be tested at sunset.’

Another set of footsteps entered the room quietly, interrupting the officer’s conversation. 

“So this is your way of inducting our new Eel hound, hm?” 

Both of the men tensed and felt their arm and neck hair raise at the sound of the voice coming from the doorway. The captain swiftly turned 180 degrees and swung the salute. Quietly praying to the spirits he didn’t have to feel the Great Uniter’s wrath. The seemingly monumentous woman looked at her captain with a disapproving look. 

“Captain, what exactly were you told to prepare for these...tests?”

The captain began to shake slightly in his hands knowing someone, possibly him, might get slammed against a wall or much, much worse. 

‘W-well we set up the echo and sensory chambers, set up our telegraph a-and one of the training arenas for a skills demonstration.’ 

The Great Uniter lightly puckered her lips and slowly nodded towards Baatar. “Thank you, captain. You are dismissed. Leave Baatar and I alone.”

‘Of course, ma’am.’ The Captain quickly shuffled out of the room letting out his anxiety and fear once he closed the door. He would live to see another day. 

Kuvira side eyed back towards the door as it shut then focused on her fiance. “I know you hate letting people in, but what is the meaning of this?” 

The engineer gritted his teeth and slammed his fist onto the wooden desk. “Tavo is brand new, he barely graduated basic training and now you want to let him into our most elite force? A force made of our most trusted advisors and officers?” 

Kuvira bore her eyes into his, telling him to think about his next few words carefully. VERY carefully. Baatar perceived the warning and looked down in frustration. “How do we know we can trust him? You’ve been keeping me in the dark when I should know these things.”

The brawny woman lightened her expression and stepped towards the engineer and put a hand to his cheek. “I know what I saw in that ring. That man has incredible power and we need him in our close corner. I have a feeling he knows something we don’t.” 

The Great Uniter slid her hand down to his chin and lifted gently so that his eyes were aligned with hers. “I’m sorry I haven’t been informing you. In due time, this will all make sense. As for now, you’re going to have to trust me. Do you trust me?” 

The poor man’s eyes began to shake. He knew that question only had one correct answer. ‘Yes I-I trust you.’ 

Kuvira gave a balmy grin and kissed the taller man on the cheek. “Excellent. I’ll leave you to it then.” 

“With some conditions.”

The officer sighed in relief but was quickly flustered again when he heard her voice again. ‘Anything. What is it?’

“I want to monitor all the tests. I would also like to take part in one of the tests, particularly the skills portion.” 

****

Tavo and Ranta continued their sparring session despite their disturbing discovery. Tavo tried and tried again to do...whatever he did to Pantu but nothing was working. He could see his own teal coloring but nothing else. 

“URGH we’ve been at this for hours and NOTHING. I don’t get it. I know it wasn’t an accident.”

The officer let himself fall back against the wall and slide down to a seated position. Defeated and emotionally exhausted. 

Ranta quickly came to his side and patted him on the shoulder. ‘Hey, you’ll get it. You got hit in the head pretty hard, maybe you hallucinated it?’

Tavo turned away from the brigadier and sneered “I know what I saw, Ranta.” 

Tavo sighed and instantly regretted his tone. “Dad came to me in a dream last night. He said I had a great responsibility and that he’s with me if I need him.” 

Ranta thought long and hard trying to find the words to comfort his friend but all he could come up with was “What do you think it means?”

Tavo scoffed and muttered “I dunno, but he hasn’t been here since I was a kid. What makes him show up now?” 

He rose and rolled out his shoulder, looking to the sky to see that it was almost sunset. “Doesn’t matter now. I have some tests to take.” 

Tavo walked towards the door and slammed it open. The chip on his shoulder was splintering. Poking and prodding at the painful memories in his head. He never understood why his dad left. His mom always told him when he was a kid that it was because he didn’t love him and thought he was a failure. She never said what he failed at though. The last time he saw him was when he got his chest surgery. Tavo had just woken up and saw him sitting at the edge of his bed. He tried to speak but he couldn’t. His dad was somber, deep in thought. The last thing Tavo remembers is his dad leaving a lotus flower on his bed side and walking away. Tavo tried to stop him but he was still weak due to the sedative and the burdens of surgery. That was 8 years ago. Tavo’s rage began to balloon as he picked the pace to his destination. His jaw was clenched tight and shoulders were tense. He approached the metalbending range and found Baatar Jr. and what he assumed was a metal bender standing beside him. 

The recruit stood in the entrance and gave the proper salute to which he got one back. 

“Are you ready for your examination Cadet Tavo?”

Tavo narrowed his eyes slightly and shifted his feet. “Yes, sir.”

Baatar bounced a bit and turned his back. “Excellent. Let us begin.”

Tavo let his commanding officer take a few steps forward before following him towards the first test site. They stopped in front of a table with three pointed metal bars. About 500 yards down the line was a bullseye target barely visible. 

The taller officer turned to Tavo. “This is for metalbending proficiency and accuracy. Get as close to the bullseye as you can.” 

Baatar hid a small smug smirk. His most proficient and skilled metalbenders couldn't even get in the inner circle he doubted a lowly recruit could even hit the target. 

Tavo looked at his makeshift arrows then down the range at his target. He took a step back and closed his eyes. In one fluid motion Tavo leaned his weight back, causing the arrows to lift off the table and shot them forward with a powerful knife hand straight forward. As they heard the metal hit the wooden post the three soldiers made their way down the range to see the results. As they got there, Baatar couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The three arrows were lodged into each other. The first arrow resting in the dead center of the target. Baatar and the metalbender looked at eachother and the engineer felt a twinge of intense anger but had to control it. 

‘Very impressive, Cadet. No one has ever hit the bullseye before.’ 

Tavo was taken aback by the comment but took it in stride. “Thank you, sir. Years of practice.” 

Hmph. Kuvira might be right about this cadet, but he really wanted to prove her wrong. Hopefully this next test will do the job. Baatar led them to a small stone building close by with an antenna attached to its roof. Wires ran all along the sides with the hum of electricity humming a signature tune. Tavo’s ears raised when he heard familiar taps and clicks coming from within the walls. A telegraph machine.

His prayers have been answered. Now he had to figure out how to send a message without it being intercepted. He had a very prominent feeling that they don't just let any ol’ soldier send a telegraph. 

“So...who usually sends the telegrams?”

Baatar arched a suspecting eyebrow and donned a small frown. “The platypusbears control the local network between bases and fronts. The only personnel allowed to send telegrams outside of the Earth Empire network is Kuvira, the Eel Hounds, and I.”

Tavo pressed his lips a little tighter together in speculation. Kuvira must be the other leader. Strange name for a man, though it might not be Earth Kingdom origin. Perhaps from another nation? No, Iroh said they both hailed from Zaofu and the metal clan. 

Baatar opened the door and led Tavo inside the buzzing building. There were six telegraph machines, three on each wall. On the two other walls were interpretation machines and two translators manning them. Their eyes were glued to the pen and paper in front of them. Both of them wrote characters down at a rapid rate while the other hand conveyed messages back in morse code with short dots and long dashes. 

Baatar turned to Tavo and spoke in a dispassionate tone. “This next test is a test of your reactivity, judgement, and general military/technology knowledge. You will be given telegraphed situations from a commander on a front in varying hostile and engaged situations. You will be tested on your time and your accuracy. Take a seat and the transmission will be live in a minute.”

Tavo hesitantly took a seat and looked back at the commander who fiddled with the telegraph on the other side of the room. Tavo had so many questions. Is the hostile situation between civilians or militants? Did the opposition engage first? What does their arsenal look like? What if-

Too late. The transmission was live. Tavo listened carefully and started to scribble frantically. Immediately after he got the first action he began tapping out commands. From what he gathered so far a militant opposer has approached a peaceful band of the Earth Empire intending to take over a neutral settlement. Their tanks and heavy armory were in front to show military strength, infantry following close behind. Tavo taps back to have scouts and earthbenders discreetly create caverns within the mountains high above for the archers to take position. 

Tavo felt his hand start to cramp but he pushed through it. More transmissions came in rapid fashion but this did not phase the lieutenant-general. Honestly, he could do this in his sleep compared to some of the situations he had to handle as a Major. No matter, he had to prove to Baatar that he was worthy of being included in his inner circle. More situations started to come through. A platoon being ambushed, another discovering a hub of bandits, an officer has been taken hostage, a soldier going AWOL, a security breach. Tavo handled them with ease. This is all they got? 

‘Last one, Cadet.’ Baatar called out. 

Tavo nodded without batting an eye and stretched his hand while the message was coming through. 

“The avatar has arrived at the front of one of our camps and demands classified intel. She threatens to attack and accuses the Earth Empire of committing acts against the avatar and overstepping boundaries. She also reveals the United Forces are quickly following behind and demands an answer.” 

That’s strange, I thought the white lotus gave Suyin her blessing to try and balance the Earth Kingdom? Weird they put in a scenario like this…

Tavo started to dial in various dots and dashes culminating his response. “Stand down and motion for oral negotiations. Compromise.” 

Tavo narrowed his eyes for a moment and thought hard about his next few words. “If no compromise could be reached. Initialize attack.” 

Baatar collected the telegraph translation and solutions and felt a shock run through his body. These are all accurate, 100 percent. His times were better than most platypusbears, spirits even HE couldn’t even translate and send messages in that kind of time. The impressed feeling quickly dissipated and turned into a much more malevolent feeling. He whipped his head towards the metalbender who gave no expression under their helmet, just a nod. 

Baatar, mystified by all the events that have happened thus far, barely found the words to move them along. “Onto your final test. We will be going to the Pit.” 

This made the metal bender smile beneath her mask. Finally. She got to see what this recruit is REALLY about. Her stomach was doing flips. Her heartbeat increased and skipped a beat when she looked at him. The metal bender pushed those feelings deep into her. C’mon Kuvira focus. You need to be sharp when you face him. 

As soon as the three of them entered the pit, Tavo hopped in and created a pile of sand to ease his landing. Kuvira rolled out her neck and mirrored Tavo on the opposite side. Baatar stood at the edge of the ring of the ring and cleared his throat. He didn’t really like this idea of Kuvira fighting this recruit but he knew he had no say in the matter. 

“This is a test of your 1v.1 combat skills. You will be allowed to use any earth, metal and other materials you may find useful. You may derobe if you wish, cadet. On my word, you may begin. Don’t think this will be an easy test. Your opponent is the best metal bender in the Earth Empire.”

The cadet flashed a cocky smirk. “We’ll see about that” he thought to himself. 

Tavo stripped out of his uniform top to reveal his smooth, weighty torso and bulked arms. His collarbones stretched his skin and complimented the tendons in his neck. He bent the metal rings back onto his biceps and his calves. Kuvira felt herself start to slip into a haze at the sight of him but quickly brought herself back. Spirits, what has gotten into her lately? She growled to herself and took a shoulder wide boxing stance. Her hands laid low and her feet were planted on the ground. It was a cocky stance but she knew she was going to strike first.

She was ready. 

Tavo noticed her stance and bent his knees into a side horse stance with his arms in parallel to each other in front of his face. Palms open and fingers close together like knives. 

He was ready. 

Baatar let out a deep yell from his diaphragm “BEGIN.”

Kuvira cupped her hand lifting and curving the metal strips on her uniform into sharp crescent projectiles and shot them in unison towards her opponent. She didn’t want him holding back. He wanted to see him at his most primal, his back against a wall. She wanted to see what she saw in the pit. 

Tavo swerved away from the shards being bent at him. He didn’t even bat an eye. He dipped his shoulders and spun his body around the projectiles and let them fly close to his skin without touching them, letting the air flow onto his skin. Kuvira was put off by this. It was an incredibly beautiful sight to witness. Something about it seemed so free. It was loose and flowing, it was...so not earthbender. 

Before she knew it the metal shards were coming back at her. She tried to mimic his movements but misstepped and got cut by one of her own shards on her shoulder. She felt herself bleeding but her frustration boiled over the pain. She gritted her teeth and let out a small yelp as she flung bands of metal to try and restrict the other earthbender. To her amazement he let himself be hit by one of the bands covering his eyes. 

Tavo let out a cynical cackle “HA. You think blocking out my sight is gonna do you any good? I’m already half blind if ya didn’t notice.” 

That was the breaking point for Kuvira. Beneath the mask her eyebrows knitted together and jaw clenched tightly. Infuriated was an understatement. She began to fling rock and metal one after the other. Letting her form grow sloppy and her attacks much more brash. 

Tavo stomped his foot to the ground and let the gray scale image take over his vision. A moment later he felt the boulders and metal strips start to fly. He knew the soldier couldn’t keep this up and waited for the right moment to strike. Earthbenders nowadays forget the importance of neutral jing. With a boulder coming straight at him he spun and gave a solid kick back, bouncing the boulder back to the metal bender. She gasped under her breath and took two metal straps, lodged them into the boulder and split the boulder clean down the middle. Tavo was impressed to say the least. His opponent was strong but lacked dynamics. They were very stiff and used primarily upper body attacks. Their feet shift but don’t lift. He can fix that. He brought his fists up to his face which caused the earth beneath the metal benders to shift upward and to the sides an inch. 

The masked soldier leaned backwards to try and maintain balance but the earth kept shifting beneath her. She tried to catch herself with her arms and hands but ended up leaving herself exposed and felt a rock fly right into her stomach. She slammed into the wall...hard. She keeled over and hugged her stomach with both arms. She saw the other soldier approach rather hastily through blurry and tear filled eyes, mistakenly thinking the test was over. She wasn’t going down without a fight dammit.The other soldier bent the steel blindfold off of his eyes with his hand and dropped his shoulders. She straightened her spine when he approached closer and stretched her arms in front of her chest, sending an arsenal of earth and metal zipping towards her opponent. 

Tavo widened his eyes, not expecting the attack from the opposition and instinctively hovered one hand on top of the metal and letting the other hand hover below it. The metal came at him with a lot of force causing him to dig into the balls of his feet and letting the metal push him slightly backwards. He closed his eyes and saw the familiar black surroundings. 

No way. He’s doing it! Tavo tilted his head upwards and saw the metal benders chi. It was a beautiful sea of greens ranging from forest to light emerald. It was like a work of art. The way the colors swirled and spiraled made his heart dance in his chest. Only once he opened his eyes again did he feel his opponent’s heart race and eyes fixate on his hands. He looked down and saw the liquified steel hovering between his hands. 

His enemy was completely off guard and exposed their torso and arms so Tavo leaned back and shifted his weight forward flinging the liquid metal forward with an open palm and as the metal drew closer, he made a fist. Turning the metal into 5 sharp spikes. Once the spikes made contact with the cloth, the metal bender was carried and pinned against the stone wall. The metal bender sat there for a moment in utter shock then struggled and wriggled to try and get out of the grip. It was no use. She was pinned in tight. 

Tavo turned to Baatar, whose jaw was to the floor. Never in his life had he seen bending like that, and he grew up with a Beifong as a parent. He had an array of questions but they tumbled and flipped on the tip of his tongue. One thing he did know for sure though, he was wrong. 

Tavo looked up and crossed his arms in pride and pleasure and stated:

“So, did I pass?”


	10. The Butterfly and The Bee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: kidnapping, sensory deprivation
> 
> Black Cat-Mayday Parade
> 
> Thanks so much for reading :)

Kuvira was absolutely floored. Dumbfounded, even. She’s one of the best metalbenders in the entire world. Her teacher is a direct descendant of Toph Beifong and she was bested?! How’d she get beat so badly by this-. 

An insult tried to vocalize but something in her couldn’t bring herself to complete the thought. This same part felt like a child seeing the circus for the first time. So amazed and entranced by her opponents ability and technique. Even his name slipped out her mouth smoothly. She began to whisper lightly under her breath, Tavo, Tavo, Tavo. 

Something about that name just held something comforting and warm. She looked back at the soldier who was now facing Baatar. He had an alluring side profile, he was sturdy and strong but something about him was approachable, almost welcoming. If she didn’t know better she would think he was an officer or a commander. He seemed to be well groomed and poised. His hands were at his hips when she noticed three large scars on his right arm. From the looks of it he’s seen his fair share of combat. His eye looks like it was from some sort of trauma considering it's completely in line with his facial scar. In the middle of her analysis her gaze broke as he began to walk towards her. She struggled to get out of his pins and tried to show him she was perfectly capable of handling herself. Which she absolutely was. Though it wasn't working out very well. Dammit she hated being helpless…

Tavo held out a palm and clenched a fist, releasing the pins on the metalbenders uniform. The soldier fell from the wall onto her feet and looked down to inspect her uniform. She found no real damage to it, which was baffling. How did he do that? Her awe turned into frustration, the frustration quickly boiling into anger. Before she could blurt out something she was caught off guard when the cadet reached out a hand to help her up. She swatted it away and jumped up. She was eye level with the kind fellow and nearly gasped. Something about him had such a draw. His skin was a beautiful shade of tan and looked so soft. His eye was a radiant shade of hazel so golden she had never seen anything like it. She could feel her body longing for something in him but she had no idea what. She barely knew the cadets name but something about his whole being was eerily familiar, like she had known him for her whole life. It was a comfort she hadn’t felt before. She wasn’t sure how to feel about it but she didn’t hate the feeling. Tavo let a warm smile take over and bowed towards his opponent. 

“You are an excellent bender! You have a lot of strength and are really creative. It was an honor sparring with you, my name is Tavo. I’m a new recruit. I’m sorry if I hurt you in any way.” The cadet gave another bow of respect and apology. 

Kuvira had a barrage of questions but none of them seemed to be able to escape. Her tongue was twisted in pure infatuation and bewilderment. She could feel electricity pulsing through her veins; it was nearly painful. No one has ever been this kind to her, and he was practically a stranger. What kind of game is he playing? Thank the spirits she was still wearing her helmet or her expression would’ve gotten her in some hot water with Baatar. She was surprised to hear a laugh come out of her inferior’s mouth. 

“Cat got your tongue? That’s okay, I’m sure we’ll meet again.” He turned his back to her and walked Baatar who had entered the ring. Kuvira was FURIOUS. How could she be so...so… she struggled to find the right word. What was THAT?? How could she be so stupid?! 

Baatar faced Tavo with a rattled look on his face. He never should’ve doubted Kuvira. She was never wrong about these kinds of things. Frankly, she is very rarely wrong about anything… He turned to the victorious soldier and puffed his chest in an attempt to hide his shame and vulnerability. “Well done, Cadet. I think it’s quite safe to say you are going to be inducted into the eel hounds. You should be extremely proud. You are going to be at the forefront of innovation and progress among the Earth Kingdom.”

Tavo felt his stomach clench and chest tighten. Something about the way his commander said that was off. He was already suspicious. He felt the urge to scream out “Then why do you need so many damn military powers?,” but of course the thought was pushed to the back of his mind. Whatever he was about to find out it wasn’t going to be squeaky clean. It was still going to be a while before he really got to the nitty gritty but he was happy he infiltrated the inner circle. He tried to muster up a question to seem engaged in Baatar’s rant. 

“What will my duties look like, sir?” 

Baatar perked up at the question, delighted to explain. He took a lot of pride in his commanding unit. “You will be mostly working internally. Handling any affairs that rise up and to make sure everyone is complying and in line within the other units. If needed you will help us with technical projects and..peacekeeping operations.” Batar kicked himself for hesitating on that last part and hoped the inductee didn’t hear it. Speaking of which…

“Even though you passed the examinations I have given to you, you have to be inducted and swear an oath. You will be examined by a truth seer the entire time you recite the oath. You will be given new uniforms, barracks and assignments once you recite the oath and are found to be trustworthy. You have an hour to pack any supplies you need from your current barracks and return to the in-processing building.”

Tavo tried to absorb all the information given to him in one shot but became concerned about only having an hour to gather his belongings. Though he was sure he didn’t need much. He just worried about Ranta and prayed he was in the barracks by the time he got back. His trail was hot. Something shady is definitely going down. He’s not sure exactly what, but something big is buried underneath this whole operation. Quite literally. He stood in silence for a moment then spoke. 

“But sir, will we work wi-”

Baatar grew impatient and whipped his head towards his new inferior. He was tired of answering Tavo’s questions, still irritated from earlier. “ONE. HOUR. Do I make myself clear, Cadet Tavo?”

Tavo was taken back by this and audibly gulped. “Y-yes, sir.” 

Baatar let out an audible breath through his nose, releasing the tension in his neck. “Then I will see you at in-processing. Dismissed.”

Without thinking, Tavo saluted his new superior and walked out with his uniform under his arm. He began to pick up the pace as he exited the building and was out of line of sight of his superior. This was the turning point. ‘Now or Never’ Tavo thought to himself. 

***

Baatar watched the door to the pit close and turned to Kuvira. A wicked smirk formed on his face as he looked at the frazzled metalbender. 

“Looks like you met your match.”

Kuvira peeled her helmet off and growled, “It will not happen again. Never in my life have I been bested like that.” 

She hated to admit it but the feeling in her stomach was back. A feeling she hasn’t had in a very long time. Not since she was a teenager. Her lips tightened at the piercing and jumpy feeling in her gut. She was...missing him? Something in her didn’t want him to leave. The thought of it sent a chilling shock down her spine and through her legs. She was so curious, she wanted to explore him like he was a long lost earthbending relic. She wanted to know what made him tick, what made him laugh, cry, angry whatever it was she wanted to know it. She ached for it. The air in her lungs began to burn and the weight nearly crushed her. Her whole body nearly shook with curiosity and devotion.

Baatar saw Kuvira’s expression change and raised his eyebrows in concern. “Honey? What’s wrong?” 

Kuvira snapped “Do NOT call me that. You’re not fooling anyone. We don’t have to keep pretending we’re a couple when we’re alone. Besides, what’s on my mind not pertaining to the empire is none of your business. Know your boundaries, Baatar. ” 

Baatar tucked his chin and tilted his head. He closed his eyes and let out a low growl of frustration. He was tired of being quiet. 

“When are you going to stop running from your feelings, Kuvira?” 

Kuvira rolled her shoulders back and inhaled. Before she could exhale she spun towards Baatar with her fingers curled and arm straightened out. The shoulder pads from Baatar’s uniform quickly clasped onto his neck tightly. He let out a gasp and desperately tried to pull the metal off his windpipe. Kuvira lifted her arm so that her fiance was hovering in the air. The man began to kick his legs out of panic trying to get out of the death grip. Kuvira didn’t let any emotion show. She stared into the squirming man’s eyes and let her words prove her point. 

“I could be asking you the same thing Baatar. I think that’s a question we both know won’t be answered any time soon. Unless you grow a pair and face who you truly are. Until then, you don’t get to ask the questions around here. ESPECIALLY about me and my ‘feelings’. GOT IT?” 

Baatar’s face was growing blue and nodded as best he could. Kuvira felt a small streak of guilt. Maybe she was being a bit harsh, but she had to prove a point. She was not weak. She will never be caught off guard. She straightened her fingers and let Baatar fall to the ground. Baatar put his hand over his throat and gasped, as if he was trying to make up for all the air he lost. He turtled into himself trying to get a sense of composure but before he could Kuvira was out the door. 

***

Back at the barracks, Tavo was scurrying all around trying to throw what stuff he had into a rucksack. He tried to think of a sequence of events for himself to stay somewhat organized. His head was in a fog. An hour to pick up his life and go who- knows-where. He had to pack his uniforms and the first aid kits. Wait, dammit he had to smuggle those. Spirits knew what would happen if Baatar found them. ‘Well, maybe I just don’t take all of it’ he thought to himself. He emptied the contents of them and took what he needed. Mostly the spirit water and bandages. Razors? Check. Rations? Check. He began to rummage through his bag to make room when he found a strange piece of paper at the bottom. Tavo reached into the bag and inspected it. He flipped it around and saw the picture he took from his nightstand back in Hisho. He stopped and stared at the picture for a moment. Looking longingly at the strong figure beside him. 

At times he really wishes he didn’t leave. Tavo learned how to be a man by himself and a part of him resents his father for not being strong enough to say anything to his mother or even care to stay through his whole transition or even send him a fucking letter. Whatever. The past is the past. Tavo still looks up to his father but allows himself to feel the hurt that he does. He doesn’t understand, he never did. They had a fairly good life. What changed? Animosity and ache filled his heart and chest. Somehow he felt this was all his fault. What did he do wrong? Tavo looked at the picture one last time and knitted his eyebrows in enlightenment. He took the picture and ripped the side with his mother off of it and crumbled it in his hand. He tucked what remained of the photograph in his rucksack along with his other essentials and heaved it over his shoulder. He needed to find Ranta and let him know what happened. He pushed the steel door open and looked left then right. He faced forward and nearly collided with someone but stepped back before he could. He was relieved it was Ranta. His good friend let out a hearty laugh. 

‘There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you. I-’

Tavo looked at him with sincerity and a hint of fear. He really didn’t want to leave Ranta alone so quickly but he knew what he had to do. 

“Ranta listen to me. I don’t have much time. They’re bringing me in to be inducted into the Eel-hounds. It’s an internal affairs unit and it’s supposed to be classified. They’re using the peacekeeping thing as a front. If you don’t hear from me within 3 days. Alert Iroh.” 

Tavo began to scurry past him when Ranta turned and called the older man out. 

‘WAIT Tavo I have to tell you something’ 

“Ranta I have no time I have to go.” 

Ranta’s cheeks glowed a deep red from frustration. He opened his mouth to say something but was quickly brought into a tight hug. He felt droplets on the back of his shirt. Tavo was crying. Why was he crying? 

Tavo cupped his friend's cheeks. Looking at him with red puffy eyes and his own tear stained cheeks 

“I mean it, Ranta. If something goes wrong tell Iroh and LEAVE. Don’t look for me or wait for me.” 

‘Tavo…’ 

The Eel Hound took a deep breath and hugged his friend goodbye. Ranta hugged him back tightly. He whispered something in Tavo’s ear.

‘Shadow with no body.’

Tavo smiled and whispered back. “Spirits with no vessel” 

Just like that, Tavo was gone. Ranta took a quick breath and shook his head. Tavo can be so dramatic sometimes. He didn’t even get to tell him that he snooped through the captain’s files and found out his assignment. Oh well, guess Tavo will just have to be surprised. 

Tavo sprinted to the in-processing building with thoughts going just as fast. He really hoped and prayed he would try to get in no problem. Though the truth seer is an obstacle he did not foresee. Honestly he really didn’t see the point of having a truth seer oversee an oath in the first place. Unless they were trying to hide something and didn’t want any leaks. Whatever they're planning must be big. Especially since truth seer’s are rare and mostly hail from the metal clan. Tavo was an exception. He didn’t even realize he was a truth seer or what it was until he joined the United Forces. He was explaining to one of the fellow earthbenders in his unit what it was and the soldier explained to him. Since then he mostly kept the ability a secret. 

Tavo entered slowly looking around but the building was empty. The lights were off and the only sound he could hear was his own breath. He took another step in and heard the door slam behind him. Before he could look to see what had made it slam a metal bar clamped over his eyes and mouth. What in the world? What kind of organization kidnaps their own soldiers?

“HMRPH” Was what all Tavo could mutter out. He felt a pair of hands grab his rucksack and put his hands behind his back. He was kicked at the back of the knee lightly as an indicator to walk forward. A familiar voice rang out in the midst of the quiet struggle. 

“I’m sorry to do this to you but until you can be trusted I cannot have you see our infrastructure.” 

Figures, he should’ve known it was Baatar. Man, why did trouble always seem to find HIM? Ranta is the one always looking for it and it never seems to find him quite as easily as it does for Tavo. Thankfully, Tavo had a way of slipping out of trouble too. Hopefully he can squeeze out of this cleanly. 

The cadet was brought into a steel chamber and heard a button click. A few seconds later he felt himself being lowered. Gears and machines whined and gritted all around him. He couldn’t feel anything with his feet except for the chamber and Baatar but somehow they were still moving downward. It perplexed the young soldier but he didn't get a chance to ponder on it. The moving metal chamber came to a crashing halt and a few moments later a gate clicked open. Baatar had Tavo by his arm, barely able to curl his fingers onto his bicep. All the training he had gone through definitely added some bulk to him but still had some of the original shape of his belly and legs. Tavo tried to get a good read from his seismic sense but he couldn’t keep his feet on the ground long enough to get anything really solid. Baatar tugged at the bound soldier's arm towards him and they took a left turn. They walked a few more paces then took a sharp right turn. Baatar’s grip was getting tighter with every step they took. Tavo felt the sweat pool underneath his palm and settle on his arm. He could sense Baatar’s demeanor had changed. He didn’t need eyes to see that something was riling him. He was wired. He was anticipating something, fiending for something. The two men took a few more steps and a door opened. Baatar gave Tavo a light shove between his shoulder blades to tell him to step into the doorway. Tavo followed the physical command and walked in slowly. Tavo put his foot down solidly and figured out where he was. He was in a small concrete room with a large window on his right. There was another person in the center of the room, he felt the heartbeat. He felt the unknown figure step forward and gently remove the metal restraints from his eyes and his mouth. Tavo squinted painfully at the dim overhead light and tried to orient himself. 

An older man a little bit shorter than him stood directly across from him with a borderline hostile face. He stroked his beard and looked at the soldier in question up and down. The truth seer walked a slow circle around Tavo still stroking his beard. Tavo squinted at the strange man and tensed his shoulders. The truth seer took a step back and nodded to Baatar. Baatar cleared his throat and stepped to face his subject. 

“Tavo of Hisho, do you swear your life and loyalty to the Earth Empire?”

Tavo took a shallow breath bit the inside of his lip. “Yes.” 

“And if you are found to be treasonous you will accept any and all punishment including death?” 

Tavo swallowed and looked into Baatars eyes. “Yes.” 

The truth seer side eyed Baatar and gave him a small nod. 

Baatar squinted his eyes and clenched his jaw. “I’ll ask again. Do you swear your loyalty, life, and liberty to the Earth Empire and NOTHING else? Keep in mind if you are found to be loyal to anyone else or step an INCH out of line you WILL face the wrath and be at the mercy of Kuvira and any punishment that is awarded to you.” 

Baatar inched towards Tavo until their faces were a few millimeters apart. Their eyes in an intense battle of tension,both with different intentions. 

Tavo sneered and mumbled “yes”. 

Baatar continued to stare for another few seconds to read Tavo’s face then turned to the truth seer who gave him a dissatisfied look and pulled Baatar to the other side of the room. They began to whisper strongly and gave each other sharp looks of disbelief and annoyance. As Tavo observed his commanding officer and the truth seer he felt another heartbeat approach the window of the room. Tavo looked towards the window and stomped his foot down as lightly as he could. He closed his eyes and analyzed the figure on the other side of the mirror. Their heartbeat was rapidly increasing and they felt shaky. Their breathing was hitched and they seemed...nervous? Tavo analyzed the soldier carefully and took note of all the physical features he could observe. The figure was a woman, about 5 feet 7 inches in height and was incredibly strong. He could practically feel her muscles pulsating and tensing with each rise and fall of her chest. She was a metal bender since he felt the helmet and the arm and leg cufflinks. Tavo opened his eyes again to find the men still going on about something. The only thing Tavo could hear was Baatar speak softly, asking if the truth seer was sure about his declaration. The truth seer nodded and Baatar let out a sigh. 

Tavo raised an eyebrow and fronted a menacing look. He really tried to give this guy a chance but he was really making his way under his skin. This feeling was a bit novel to Tavo, he never really let anything or anyone get into his head. He knew better. If anything that wanted to hurt him got into his head was done for. He had to keep an open and clear mind. He needed patience and competency. He waited for the officer or the truth seer to speak and let him know of his conviction. 

Baatar broke the silence in a gross overly polite tone. “Well Tavo, it looks like you are to be trusted. This is your official welcome into the Eel Hounds.” 

Baatar shuffled towards the door and motioned with his hand for Tavo to follow. Kuvira saw Baatar motion for Tavo to come out of the doorway and her heart skipped a beat. She walked quickly, almost in a jog towards the door but stopped herself when she realized her pace. She stopped and tried to let her thoughts settle but they had no sign of slowing down or stopping. She took off her helmet and shook her head side to side to loosen her thick wavy hair from her usual tight bun. Baatar was rounding the corner with Tavo closely behind him. He perked up when he saw the commander and threw his hands behind his back. 

“Ah, just in the knick of time. Tavo, this is Kuvira, co-leader of the earth empire and chief commanding officer of all combat units. She’s the architect and mastermind behind the reconstruction of the Earth Kingdom.”

Tavo bowed out of respect and wonderment. He was flabbergasted he met both of the co-leaders of the operation in such short notice. They must've really seen something in him that they desperately want...or need. Tavo was still extremely skeptical of the whole “peacekeeping” operation and had a firm belief that the Earth Empire was something a bit more malicious. Nonetheless, he had to play the game. The game of deception and sabotage. 

As he came back up he popped his eyebrows up and down. Something was familiar about her.. Alarmingly Familiar.

Her eyes.

He’s seen them before. He wasn’t exactly sure where but he’s seen them recently. His heart pumped with anxiety and irritation. He gave a forced smile and allowed her to speak. 

Kuvira gave a small half smile and politely bowed back. She made sure her voice was soft, and low but had a backing of authority. “Welcome, Tavo. Consider this a high honor to be under Baatar Jr.’s and I’s command. This is not an easy job. There is a lot of work to be done in the Earth Kingdom. I expect your best and highest effort and elite skill at all times. You will be held to the highest standard. Do I make myself clear?”

That last line made a shiver crawl up Tavo’s spinal cord. A pulse of tingling sped through the entire length of his torso and palms. “Yes, ma’am.” 

Kuvira’s eyes softened and brought her hands to her side. She placed one of them on Tavo’s shoulder. “Good, I expect nothing but great things from you, Tavo.” 

Tavo's pupils dilated to the size of dinner plates. How did she know his name? He’s never met her before in his life. Unless…

Tavo pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind for later and looked to Baatar to follow his lead. To which the engineer nodded towards their destination which was the barracks and training rooms. 

As soon as the two men were out of earshot, Kuvira had to suppress a small giggle that was building in her chest. She smirked to herself and whispered. 

“Finally, the Eel hound has entered the Viper-Bat Cave.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I am SO sorry for the late chapter update. I was dealing with some health issues and the holidays so this chapter is a bit late and the next one might be as well but after that, we should be resuming our regular updates!


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